Pieces
by AnnikaMalfoy
Summary: The Volturi have been defeated by the Cullens' army. And the Cullens have given into the monsters they fought for so long. They are now in control of the humans. One girl dares to defy them. Can she save them?
1. Notice

**A/N: Okay, this is the first chapter of Finding Peace. Before I get started I have a few things to say. First of all, if you haven't read the Finding Peace Backstory that I have posted, I advise doing that first because you might be a little lost. Also, I appreciate reviews. I do ask though that nobody tell me Edward wouldn't do this or Alice wouldn't say that. I know. All of the Cullens will be extremely out of character. It's going to be the only way for this plot to work. So please don't tell me what I already know. Finally, I ask that you bear in mind that the Cullens led an army in a war. A war that started because the lost one of their one for no reason. In this war they lost friends and family. They also had to do things they've spent a century trying to avoid. All this would change a normal person so just think about what it would do to the Cullens, who are anything but normal. Okay, I think that's everything.**

**KARI**

This week started off like any normal one. Or rather what's been normal since the day my mom disappeared three months ago. She went to see my younger brother's band director one morning and just never came back. There was no investigation into what actually happened but I'm pretty sure she was a meal for one of the monsters (vampires) that had taken over the world.

Being the oldest child, my mother's disappearance, I began working as a third shift cashier at Wal-Mart. I would work from eleven at night to seven in the morning every night. Then I'd come home and get my siblings ready for school while my dad worked days.

Skyler was the easiest. She was sixteen and a sophmore in high school. She begged me and our father to let her quit school and get a job. She wanted to help with the bills since we no longer had my mom's income. I refused to allow her to do that. She needed to graduate. I refused to let those monsters take that away from any of my siblings. My brother Matthew who was fifteen and a freshman was a different story. He fought me everyday because he didn't want to leave me alone.

"What if they attack and no one's here to protect you?" he would say.

"Then I'll be happy you're not hear to get hurt as well." I would answer.

Meggie was thirteen and in the eighth grade. She would clinge to me everyday. She was so scared that the same thing that happened to mom would happen to her. She'd go to school and just not come back. I would reassure her the best I could every morning. The problem was, she might not come back and there would be nothing I could do to stop it.

Then there were the twins, Micheal and Amelia, they were only six and in the first grade. We thought that it was best just to tell them, that mommy went on a vacation and we weren't sure when she was coming back. I mean how do you tell six year olds that there mother had been eaten by vampires.

I didn't let them walk or ride the bus. I'd do my best to protect them whenever and wherever possible. I drove all of them to there different schools in our mom's mini van that our dad decided to keep. We sold my Jeep Tracker for a little extra money a month after my mom disappeared.

After dropping them off, I would go home and sleep till about two in the afternoon. When I got up, I would clean the house, do laundry, and fix dinner. Dad would go pick up the kids from their different schools and bring them home. I'd then help them with their homework while dad took a shower. After dinner, I would catch a couple more hours of sleep before I had to go back to work.

It was a difficult life for a recently graduated eighteen year old but I don't have a choice. I have to do the best I can to hokd this family together or who knows what would happen to us.

Like I said, the week started out like a normal week. That was until, I came home from work and found a notice on our door.

It looked official and beared the Cullen crest. I almost passed out right there on the porch. I didn't need to read it to know what it was. The Cullens were the vampire coven or "family" ,as they preferred to be called, that took over America. They were wealthy and greedy.

To improve their wealth, they would collect humans to sell as slaves and meals to vampires in other countries. They'd choose a town every month and spend a week inspecting the humans they wished to collect. The families who lived in the town were given three days notice to prepare for the collection. They took who they wanted. It didn't matter how old they were or what kind of family they came from. All they cared about was what humans would make them the most money.

I stood on the porch, staring at the notice in my hand. They were coming in a week to destroy my family some more. Well, they'd have a surprise when they got here. I wouldn't let them take any of us. Not without a fight at least. I hide my family if I had to. We had a bomb shelter.

That's it. I'd make my dad spend all of next week down there with them. When the Cullens came, I let them do what they wanted with me but I would refuse to tell them were the family was. I wouldn't let them take any more of us. Wasn't our mother enough?

I tried my best to make my face a blank mask as I crumbled the notice and threw it on the ground. I stepped inside to hear the bustle of my siblings getting ready for school.

"Kari," Meggie yelled. "Matthew won't giving my social studies book!"

"Matthew, give it back to her and get ready for school." I yelled and continued into the house.

Skyler was sitting on the couch watching music videos, all ready to go, like usual.

"Are you okay, Kari?" Skyler asked as I walked to the dining room. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"I'm fine, Sky." I replied. I didn't want to say anything to them until I talked to dad. Then we could tell them together. "Just a rough night. Where's Mike and Mia?"

"Getting ready for school." Skyler answered. "By the way, I know how much you have to do,so I did a load of towels."

"Thanks sweetheart." I looked at the clock on my cell phone. "It's seven thirty, guys." I yelled. "We need to get going."

One by one, the kids came out of their rooms and I drove them to school. I held in the tears until Skyler and Matthew got out then I just let them flow. What was she going to do. She needed to protect her family but how could she protect them from a coven of vampires.

**LATER THAT NIGHT...**

I skipped my pre-work nap so I could talk to my dad after I put the kids to bed. He was sitting on the couch, watching reruns of Cold Case. I sat down in the rocking chair across from the couch.

"Dad, can you turn the T.V. off for a minute?" I asked. "I need to talk to you about something important."

He picked up the remote and clicked the television off.

"What's the problem Kar-bear?" he asked.

"Well, I don't know if you heard anything at work today but the Cullens are doing their monthly human collection." I can't believe that rolled off my tongue like it was a normal montly tradition. Sadly, people did use it as a topice of small talk.

"I heard it was getting to be about that time." he replied.

I looked up at him, not wanting to say the words I had to say. He must have known what I was trying to tell him because the color drained from his face.

"No. No." he said shaking his head. "They can't. My kids are just babies."

"You know that doesn't matter to those monsters. All they care about is making money. Not who they hurt along the way." I said bitterly.

"I know but I can't let them take any of you." he said.

"You can let them take me." I said. My heart was thudding in my chest. I had to protect my family even if it meant my freedom or life.

"No, I can't let you do that." he said.

"You can and you must. The kids already lost their mother. The can't lose their father too. I'v been thinking about it today and I think you cguys should hide down in the bomb shelter when they come. Then I can convinced them to take me and go. Or," and I took a deep breath. "Kill me and go. Just as long as they leave you guys alone."

"But Kari..."

"Look, Dad, for the past three months, I've been mom to these kids. I've helped you pay the bills and take care of the house. I've given up the time I should be spending with friends to help this family. You owe me this!"

I hated playing the guilt card on him but I had to make him hear me. I had to make him let me save the family.

"I owe you the chance to risk your life. I don't think so." he said shaking his head.

"No, you owe me the chance to protect this family. I might be able to save them if youlet me do this!"

"But even if we hid. You know how keen their senses are. They'll still find us."

"Not if I can distract them with my scent. Dad, please, you have to live. These kids need you more than they need me. We both know that."

He stared at me hard for a minute. I could see the tears welling up in his eyes. He didn't want to agree but knew he had no choice. After a long minute, he nodded his consent.

"Just be careful. Don't piss them off too much." he said. "Especially Edward. I heard he gets really nasty when he's angry."

I knew how nasty Edward got all too well. He killed my penpal's mother when the Cullens were in California. It was all because he didn't like they way she was looking at him.

"Dad, it'll be okay. I promise." I said and left for work.

I cried all the way to work because I just lied to my father for the first time. I was pretty sure things were going to be anything but okay in three days.

**A/N: I know this chapter is kind of weak. Don't hate the story because of it. I've already set up for the Cullens' part of it but needed to set up for Kari's family's side. It does get better, I promise. Also, this is the first time I've tried to write a story in first person. I hope it turned out okay. Hug for my reviewers.**


	2. Defiance

**A/N: I just want to take a minute to say thank you to -harlem syndicate- for being my first and only review for the first chapter. I wasn't going to continue because I was worried it was a bomber. Then I just read the review and found somebody liked it so this chapter is thanks to that review. Also, I realized the timing was confusing. Kari's family got the notice from the Cullens on a Friday. The Cullens were starting on Monday but they won't get to Kari's family that early. I hope that clears up any confusion.**

**KARI**

I tried to act as normal as possible for the next three days. I didn't want to make any of them nervous. The only thing I did differently was not showing up to work. I figured, by the time, the Cullens were finished, it wouldn't matter whether or not I had a job. When my siblings asked I said that I just needed a break. Our dad did what he usually did when he was nervous or upset. He worked a shitload of overtime. We used my taking some time off to excuse his actions.

I also spent most of the weekend,secretly preparing the bomb shelter for them to live in for a week.

On Sunday, I told my siblings they would not be going to school that week. Mike and Mia got smiles on their faces when I told them. Skyler, Matthew, and Meggie knew there was something going on. Thankfully, they waited to question me until I put the twins to bed.

"So, something's not right here." Skyler stated as I walked into the living room. "You never miss work. Even when your sick."

"And dad only works overtime when he's worried or upset." Matthew added.

"And you're always telling us how important school is." Meggie said. "But you and dad are going to let us skip a week."

I took a deep breath and sat next to Meggie on the couch. Skyler clicked off the T.V. and looked at me expectantly.

"The Cullens are beginning there monthly collection tomorrow." I stated. "And they're coming here."

"No, that can't have any of you! I won't let them!" Matthew yelled.

I shook my head and pulled a sobbing Meggie toward me.

"You won't be able to stop them." I told Matthew.

"I'm going to have you three, Mike, Mia, and dad spend the week in the bomb shelter. I'll be the only one to meet them when they come."

"No way, Kari!"

"You can't!"

"Please don't!"

They all started shouting at once. I held my hand up to silence them.

"Dad and I already talked about this." I said. "We agreed that it was the best way. I don't want anyone to argue. And I want Mike and Mia to think it's just a game. Do you understand?"

They all just stared at me in varying degrees of shock.

"Do you understand?" I said but with more force this time.

Knowing there was nothing left to say on the subject they all nodded.

"Now, get to bed." I ordered. "You guys need to be moved down there as early as possible tomorrow."

They stood and hugged me then trodded to their rooms. I stayed up until our father came home. I told him that I was getting the kids up at five and moving them down to the shelter. He nodded in response.

My father had never been a very emotional man. We never really had a close relationship either. The most I got from him that night was a "Good Luck" and "Be careful." He didn't even give me a hug. It didn't bother me because it was easier without an emotional goodbye.

**THE NEXT DAY...**

I woke up at four forty five after the worst sleep of my life. I got some last minute supplies ready and into the shelter. Then at five she went to rouse the kids. Dad ended up having to carry Mike and Mia outside and down into the shelter. Meggie, Matthew, and Skyler didn't want to be up but they understood the importance of the situation. They got up and went without complaint.

When everyone was set up and everything ready, I said my goodbyes to the family and went back into the house. I spent the whole day scrubing, cleaning, and doing laundry. I was trying not to think about what was going to come at any time. I even tried to pick up a book but that didn't work either.

I thought about taking a shower but I didn't want to give them the advantage of coming while I was naked.

Monday passed but they didn't come. Tuesday and Wednesday passed in the same boring way. The Cullens didn't show.

**THURSDAY**

I had chosen to scrub the kitchen today because it really needed it. Also, I was still trying to distract myself. My mind kept drifting to my family in the bomb shelter. I wanted to go see them so badly but knew it wasn't safe. Who knew when the Cullens would come?

At noon that day, I got my answer. I heard the front door creak open. They didn't think they had to knock.

_"Show time." _I thought as I took a deep breath. I tried to calm the beating of my heart. I slowly and shakily walked through the dining room to the living room. I stood in the doorway and crossed my arms my chest.

There they were. The Cullens or at least the six remaining ones. I had heard two of them died during the war but I couldn't remember their names.

The first two I saw were Edward and Bella. Edward had the most interesting bronze hair and his eyes were black but something about them wanted to pull me in. He was just as perfect as I had heard from others. If it hadn't been for the fact that he was there to destroy my family, I would've thought he was cute. He was made leader of the coven after the war. The humans found him a little more intimadating than Carlisle.

Bella was at his side. He had his arm around her waist but I knew all the stories about how the marriage was going downhill. It had been since the war started. Bella had long beautiful bushy brown hair. Her eyes to were black but they weren't as interesting as Edward's she was as beautiful as I've heard.

Alice and Jasper were behind them. Jasper had short blonde hair and looked like a brooding movie star. His eyes were black as well. Alice was slightly shorter than Jasper. She had spiky black hair. Her eyes were black as well. She didn't seem like the hyper upbeat person I heard she used to be.

Finally, there was Carlisle and Esme. The parental units of the family. Carlisle had blonde hair with a little on his face. Esme had red hair. Both their eyes were black.

**(A/N: Sorry for the crappy description of the Cullens. I was trying to impose a first sight thing with Kari but it didn't work very well. And BTW, I want to let you know that Carlisle is still considered the father and leader of the family. But because the humans find Edward more frightening, Carlisle put him in charge of the dealings with humans.)**

I wasn't sure how long I stared before Edward spoke.

"What's your name?" he demanded.

"Kari." I replied. I knew I had to get this off on a good foot.

"Well, Kari, our research says that their are supposed to be seven of you here." Edward stated.

"That's right." I said.

"Well, where are they?" he asked as if I were stupid. That got me upset. I hated when people talked to me like that.

"Now, why would I tell you that?" I asked.

"I can just read your mind for the answer." he said. I had forgotten about that. I tried hard to clear my head. "But it would be easier if you just answered me."

"Sorry. I've always done things the hard way." I sounded a whole lot braver than I felt.

He stared at me intently for a minute, I looked down at the floor. After a minute, I felt his finger on my chin forcing me to look at him.

"That's interesting." He said. "This hasn't happened in thirteen years."

"What?" Bella asked and I noticed she rolled her eyes.

"I can't get a thing from her." he answered. "So I'll ask you again, human, where is everyone else?"

"I'm not telling you. I won't aid you in turning my sister into whores and my brothers into slaves." I said as defiantly as a could. He was just feet from me. He could snap me in half if wanted to.

"We gonna find them whether or not you tell us. It would be easier on everyone if you just tell us."

"Like I said before, I always do things the hard way."

Edward looked me up and down with an evil smile twisting on his face. Finally he said,

"No matter what we do with the family, I want her. She looks like she'd be a real challenge. I like a challenge."

"Go to hell." I said through gritted teeth. He backhanded me. I felt his ring split my bottom lip as I fell to the floor from the force.

I realized I was bleeding right away. I reached my hand up to wipe it off but Edward grabbed my wrist.

"I don't think so." He whispered then leaned in like he was going to kiss me. He took my bottom lip to his mouth and sucked the blood off. He pulled back after a few seconds. "Another reason to keep you around. Only one human had better blood than you." He looked back at Bella.

I imagined she would've blushed if she could. Edward turned to look at the rest of the family.

"Find the others." he ordered. "Search everywhere until you find them. I'm going to stay with my new friend. Just to make sure she doesn't get too brave."

The others scattered through the looking for my family. I tried to stand up but he pushed me back down.

"No one told you to get up." he said.

He stared at me for a long time. I stared right back. I saw many emotions in those black eyes. The most apparent were anger and intrigue. I looked deeper though and found sadness, pain, and regret. I didn't understand.

"You weren't always like this, were you?" I asked unsure of why I was asking.

"That's none of your business, human." he replied digusted.

I didn't say anymore because I didn't want to make him angrier but I knew there was something. Something in his past that made him who he is today. Soemthing that killed his soul. Maybe, he could be saved. I had to have that hope. It might save me and other innocent humans.

Before I had a chance to ponder much more, the rest of the Cullens returned holding a member of my family. Esme had Mike and Mia who were crying because they had no idea what was going on.

"It's going to be okay." I said trying to soothe them.

"Shut up!" Edward yelled and kicked me.

"Please, leave them alone!" I begged from the floor. "Take me! Do what you want but please leave them!"

Edward grabbed me by the wrist and yanked me off the floor. I was inches from his face.

"I can't do that." he said in barely above a whisper. "Especially after the stunt you just pulled but I have a solution to the problem."

He said it as if it were the best thing in the world. I found my heart beating faster. I didn't even know what he was going to say and I was terrified.

"You don't want them taken to be placed in the service of our friends. And well, it's been a couple days since the family's been hunting. We were just considering having lunch at the next place we stopped at but we can make it a little earlier." he said.

"No!" I yelled and tried to pull away. "Please, no!"

He pulled me back to him, turned me around and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"What do you guys think?"

"The smell pretty good." Alice who was holding Meggie said and sniffed her hair. Meggie flinched.

"Please!" I tried again.

"Hush, you'll get what you want and we'll get what we need." he whispered and kissed her neck.

I heard the loud sound of a bone snapping and Skyler's scream of pain. Bella, who was holding her, had twisted her arm so far behind her back that it snapped.

"Bella," Edward said with a sigh. "I thought we talked about this."

"Just because we talk about it doesn't mean I have to like it." Bella replied as Skyler continued to whimper in pain.

"So are we having lunch or what?" Jasper asked nipping at Matthew's neck.

"Be my guest!" Edward said. I didn't need to see his face to know he was smiling.

"No!" I yelled and struggled to get away again.

Edward tighten his grip on my waist as the family growled. I heard the ripping of skin and my families screams of pain as their blood was drained from them. I cried and screamed. Edward kept making shushing noises. I tried to look away but he wouldn't let me. I struggled but he just held me tighter. Eventually, he let me slide to my knees on the floor. I was crying hysterically.

Once the family finished, Edward leaned down to my ear and whispered,

"Maybe that will teach you some obedience."

He grabbed my wrist again and dragged me outside. Everything that happened in those niext few minutes was a blur. I founf myself tied up in the trunk of a silver volvo. After that, darkness took over.

**A/N: Hugs for reviews.**


	3. Intrigue

**A/N: A few notes before this chapter. This is Chapter two from Edward's P.O.V. There are two reasons for this. First, I realized that working on the whole first person thing left me lacking a descirption of Kari. Which brings me to me other reason. I decided what better way to describe Kari than Edward seeing her for the first time. It would set up for later. The beginning were he's contemplating his relationship with Bella will too.**

**EDWARD**

The week of the collection was going well. It was a little boring for my tastes. Things didn't look like they were going to get anymore interesting either. It was already midday on thursday and the only a had a day and a half left and there was no fun yet.

I drove my volvo at a hundred miles an hour towards our next stop. I looked over at Bella, who was staring out the window with her arms crossed over her chest. She was silent. I hated the silence, then again I hated the fighting too.

It seemed that's all we ever did. We either didn't talk or fought. It had been that way since the beginning of the war. I had a feeling I knew why but whenever I bring it up, she finds something else for us to fight about.

I knew that she blamed me for our daughters death. She never said it but she didn't need to. I could always see it in her eyes and hear it in the silence. She always found reasons to be angry with me just so she didn't have to admit what she was really angry about. I didn't know what to do anymore.

I thought many times about asking her if she wanted a divorce, but I could never get the words out. It was apparent to everyone, even the family, that we didn't love each other like the used to. She barely let me touch her anymore. She wouldn't even sleep with me. I had to resort to taking what I wanted from the human slaves that we kept in the house. This seemed to just make her even more angry with me.

I think she's insecure about my being caustious about sex with her when she was a human but here I was screwing every female human in our house. I tried to explain to her many times that I just used them as playthings and I didn't think of them they way I did of her. I told her that I didn't care about them. I told her it didn't mean a thing. I enjoyed the fact that they hurt afterward. She didn't believe me. She still doesn't now.

We pulled up outside a house that was miles away from any other. I saw Carlisle park his Mercedes behind me and Alice pulled the porsche behind him. The van with this months collection was behind her.

I got out of the volvo and used my vampire speed to get the door for Bella. Alice and Jasper were walking up to us as I held my hand out to Bella. She took it and I pulled her out of the car. She allowed me to slide my hand around her waist today. This surprised me but I took advantage. Carlisle and Esme joined us now.

"Looks like we might get some fun today." Alice said with an evil smile.

"What do you mean?" I asked as we headed for the house.

"I just had a vision. It seems as though the stupid human were about to meet has decided to attempt to hide her family from us." Alice explained. "She's also going to be very gutsy."

"Excellent." I said ready for the chance to instill fear in somebody else.

Alice's grin grew wider. I had a feeling there was more but she wouldn't say. I tried to read her thoughts as we continued accross the lawn. Prepared for that she began rciting her alphabet in Spanish, Russian, French, Chinese, and Greek. I chuckled at the smile she flashed me.

We entered the front door without bothering to knock. Why should we? We're the superior species, not them. We walked into an empty living room. There was a T.V. the wall furtherest from us. A couch was opposite the T.V. and two armchairs on the wall across from the bay window. There was an end table on one side of the couch and one in between the armchairs. Lamps that were off sat on both tables.

I held up my hand for them to stop. I wanted to see if I could hear where they were. I heard someone turn off the faucet in the kitchen. I heard blood pumping as though from fear and deep breathing from someone. No thoughts reached my head though. That was odd. I knew someone was in the kitchen.

A few seconds later, the second most beautiful human I've ever seen came around the corner. She had beautiful blue eyes that showed curiousity not fear. That struck me as odd and intriguing. She had waist length dirty blonde hair that was hanging in a long braid down her back. She was tall, I'd say just short of ix feet, but petite, weighing probably less than one hundred and thirty pounds. She had a few freckles on her face but no blemishes. Her face was a little dirty and sweaty. She was probably cleaning. She wore a pair of tight jeans with a white form fitting tank top. It was low cut and showed off her generously sized breasts.

She stood there with her arms crossed in front of her just watching them. I gave her a minute to take us in before I began her interrogation.

"What's your name?" I finally demanded.

"Kari." she replied. She didn't sound in the least bit frightened. I'd have to do something about that.

"Well, Kari, our research says that their are supposed to be seven of you here." I stated.

"That's right." She replied. Her tone told me I would have to fight her to get what I wanted.

"Well, where are they?" I pressed. I used a tone one would use on a five year old.

"Now, why would I tell you that?" she countered. Now, I was getting angry.

"I can just read your mind for the answer." I said. Or I hoped I could. "But it would be easier if you just answered me." Maybe, she get smart.

"Sorry. I've always done things the hard way." she answered.

I stared at her hard for a few moments and got nothing. She had averted her eyes to the floor so I forced her to look at me. Maybe,eye contact would help. I stared into her eyes but still got nothing. This hadn't happened since I met Bella. I hated it when I couldn't see into people's minds.

"That's interesting." I commented toward my family. "This hasn't happened in thirteen years."

"What?" Bella asked. I could here the irritation in her voice. Irritation no doubt that I was giving a human girl more attention than I was giving her. Even if it was negative attention.

"I can't get a thing from her." I answered and turned back to the girl. "So I'll ask you again, human, where is everyone else?"

"I'm not telling you. I won't aid you in turning my sister into whores and my brothers into slaves." she said defiantly .

I had half a mind to snap her like a twig but I controlled the impulse. I didn't want to hurt her just yet.

"We gonna find them whether or not you tell us. It would be easier on everyone if you just tell us."

"Like I said before, I always do things the hard way."

I looked me up and down, she would be a fun new toy to play with. She would be a challenge. I enjoyed a challenge.

"No matter what we do with the family, I want her. She looks like she'd be a real challenge. I like a challenge." I told the others

"Go to hell." I said through gritted teeth.

I got angrier when she used that phrase. I was already in hell. I had to live with the thoughts of what happened to my daughter all those years ago. My marriage had gone under because of what happened to my daughter. I had lost a brother and sister in the war that followed my daughter's murder. Nobody could tell me about hell. I was there.

I raised my hand and struck her. My ring caught her lip and cut it. I smelled the almost glorious scent as she fell to the floor from the force. I noticed her lift her hand to wipe the blood but it wasn't very often a vampire could sample blood without biting the human. No reason to waste a good opportunity. I grabbed her wrist and pulled it away from her mouth.

"I don't think so." I whispered then leaned in like I was going to kiss her.

I took her bottom lip in my mouth and sucked the blood off. It was the second best thing, I'd ever tasted in my life. It was rivaled only by Bella's blood. I had to force myself not rip her throat open and take it all.I did still want to play with her after all.

"Another reason to keep you around. Only one human had better blood than you." I said to the girl after I pulled away then I glanced back at Bella.

I imagined she would've blushed if she could. I looked at the rest of the family.

"Find the others." I ordered. "Search everywhere until you find them. I'm going to stay with my new friend. Just to make sure she doesn't get too brave."

The others scattered through the looking for her family. The girl tried to stand up but I pushed her back down.

"No one told you to get up." I said.

She stared at me for a long time. I stared right back at her. I saw fear a little more dominant in her eyes but her curiousity was still on the surface.

"You weren't always like this, were you?" she asked.

Was I that easy to read? Or was this pathetic human just good at seeing things? Whatever the reason for her question, I certainly wasn"t going to answer it. What could a human tell me about how was before? What could a human possibly know about how the world made me like this.

"That's none of your business, human." I replied digusted. She was to be my toy, not my therapist.

She didn't say anymore. She just continued to stare. I stared at her as well. Suddenly, I saw not curiousity but sympathy on the surface of her eyes. This was almost laughable. She was going to spend the rest of her life as my slave and she felt sorry for me. I was really going to need to fuck her up. Before I had a chance to say anything else to her, my family returned with hers.

Esme was holding to children who didn't look much older than five. They were struggling against her and crying. I almost felt sorry for them. They didn't even know what was going on. Then again, he figured it would be easier for them that way.

"It's going to be okay."The girl told them in a motherly voice.

"Shut up!" I yelled and kicked her.

"Please, leave them alone!" she begged from the floor. "Take me! Do what you want but please leave them!"

Finally, I heard the fear I've been trying to get out of her since I've been here. I had a sudden idea to teach her a lesson. One that would bring that fear out to ten times its potential. I grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her off the floor. I pulled her close until she was inches away from my face.

"I can't do that." I said in barely above a whisper. "Especially after the stunt you just pulled but I have a solution to the problem."

Her eyes widened as if she knew something terrible was coming. There's definately only one way to get to a human. Threatened their family and they'd be like putty in your hands. I know because as a vampire it was the same way with my family. And continued to explain me solution,

"You don't want them taken to be placed in the service of our friends. And well, it's been a couple days since the family's been hunting. We were just considering having lunch at the next place we stopped at but we can make it a little earlier."

"No!" she yelled. I knew she understood what I was getting at. "Please, no!"

She struggled to get out of my grasp. I had to give her credit. Holding her like that was a challenge, even with my vampire strength.I pulled her back to me, turned her around and wrapped my arms around her waist.

"What do you guys think?" I asked

"The smell pretty good." Alice said sniffing the hair of the child she was holding. The child flinched.

"Please!" the girl cried still trying to escape my grasp.

"Hush, you'll get what you want and we'll get what we need." I whispered.

Fear had become arousing for me. Hearing the fear in his voice and the panic running through her veins was driving me insane. I leaned down and kissed her neck. I heard the loud sound of a bone snapping and one of the children screamed in pain. I looked up to see Bella, who was holding her, had twisted her arm so far behind her back that it snapped.

"Bella," I said with a sigh. "I thought we talked about this."

How many times did I have to tell her? It wasn't about anything but the fun and the fear.

"Just because we talk about it doesn't mean I have to like it." Bella replied as the child continued to whimper in pain.

"So are we having lunch or what?" Jasper asked nipping at the neck of the boy he was holding.

"Be my guest!" I said with a smile.

"No!" the girl yelled and struggled to get away again.

I tighten my grip on her waist as the family growled. I heard the ripping of skin and her families screams of pain as their blood was drained from them. She cried and screamed. I kept making shushing noises in a condescending way. She tried to look away but I wouldn't let her. She needed to learn to obey and watching this would help her do that. She struggled but I just held her tighter. Eventually, I let her slide to her knees on the floor. She was crying hysterically.

Once the family finished, I leaned down to her ear and whispered,

"Maybe that will teach you some obedience."

I grabbed her wrist again and dragged her outside. She was still hysterical as I tied her up with some rope and put hr in the trunk of my volvo. I don't think she even realized what was happening. Then I climbed into the driver's seat next to a disgruntled Bella.

"Why do you need her?" Bella asked angrily. "You just got a new girl last month!" she said.

"I know but that one was too obedient. She wasn't any fun. This one will be though." I told her. "But I know how much you hated the last one, so why don't you dispose of her for me?"

"Fine, whatever." Bella replied as though she could care less either way.

She crossed her arms over her chest and stared out the window. She didn't speak to me through the rest of the collections proccess.

**A/N: Like I said, I'm trying something knew with the first person. I may have slipped into third person a couple times. I apologize for that. Also, I just want to say that this is my first time thinking about the mind of the torturer as opposed to the tortured. PLease, be gentle. I hope it turned out okay. Reviews are excepted and appreciated.**


	4. Captive

**A/N: So I know this is slightly petty but I just want to tell you guys how to pronounce Kari's name. It is not pronounced like Carrie. It said like Car (as in I'm going to drive my Car) with a long e at the end. Like the youngest girl on Digimon. Sorry, I just had to say that. **

**KARI**

I woke up to find myself in a cage. I sat up and looked around. The room the cage was in was lit only by the dim sunlight coming through the thin black curtains. I saw several doors. I figured they were closets and storage. The were a couple dressers against the wall. A stand that had a C.D. player with a bunch of C.D.'s stacked next to it. There was a bed against the furtherest wall from me. This confused me because vampires didn't sleep but then I remembered they could have sex. There was a black leather couch caddy cornered from the bed. The carpet was balck.

After a minute or so, I heard the door open and the light flick on. I blinked to adjust and Edward came into my view.

"Finally, awake I see." he stated as he wallked toward the cage.

He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket as he approached. He knelt down and stuck one of the keys in the padlock on the cage. When he pulled the door open he gestured for me to come out but I stayed where I was. I wasn't about to make this easy for him. If I would've been paying more attention at my house, I would've realized this was exactly what he wanted.

He wanted me to challenge him. I'd find out much later that it was the only reason I survived those first few months. He liked that I would constantly defy him. He thought that made everything more fun.

When I didn't move, he reached in and yanked me out by my hair, which was still braided. I let out a small whimper of pain but wouldn't allow myself to give him the satifaction of more. He pulled me away from the cage and threw me onto the carpeted floor. When he released I looked back at him with what I hoped was an angry stare.

"Too bad looks can't kill." Edward mused. "Besides, I'm immortal so it wouldn't matter anyway."

"Is there something you wanted?" I asked in a sharp tone.

Edward smirked and kicked me in the stomach. It knocked the wind out of me.

"Don't speak to me in that tone." he said. "But yes there was something I wanted. We need to discuss the rules."

I just laid there on the floor trying to get my breath back.

"You belong to me now. You will refer to myself, Jasper, and Carlisle as master. And Bella, Alice, and Esme as mistress. You will do what you are told when and how you're told to do it. You will not speak unless you are spoken to. You will not leave this room unless I say. You will be expected to keep it clean. Which shouldn't be to hard since we don't spend much time in here. Your body is no longer yours. That belongs to me as well. If I want to do something to it, I will. If someone else wants to do something to it, they can as long as I say." Edward explained.

I was looking at him as he spoke thinking who laughable everything was.

"Someone will bring you meals three times a day as long as I tell them they can. You will not interact with anyone except Katya when I send her once a week." he continued. That last part confused me but he continued. "When you are in the presence of myself or my family, you will not have your head higher than any of ours. Which means when we are in the same room, you'll be on your knees. You will only sleep when I give you permission. You can go wherever you want in this room. Just don't try to escape because you won't get far. The outside of the house is guarded by some of our friends. Do you have any questions?" he finished.

"Yeah, do you really think that I'm going to follow all that?" I asked trying to not to laugh. He smirked.

"No, I think that it will be a constant war with you. I think that you will end up in a lot of pain but eventually you'll learn to listen." he replied. "Now, I have to go check on my wife and make sure that she's not having too much fun with Angela. I'm going to by sending Katya up in a few minutes."

He opened the door and walked out. I sat there and stared at the room around. It was as dark a dreary as my life was about to become.

After a few minutes, the door opened again and a girl walked in. She had red hair that came down to midback. It was done up into a french braid. She didn't look much older than Skyler. She looked somewhere between four and half and five feet tall. Her weight looked unhealhy, weighing what looked like less than a hundred pounds. She had a beautiful face with a few freckles. Her skin was pale. She looked as though she hadn't seen the sun in a few months. Bruises, scars, and cuts littered her body. She was wearing what used to be a tank top. One strap was holding on by a few threads while the other one had broke off completely. It only covered her chest and the rest hung in strips exposing most of her stomach. Her jean skirt wasn't much better. It was barely long enough to cover her up. It had torn pockets and holes everywhere.

She was carrying a basket of toiletries in one hand. She was holding stack of towels and what looked like a pile of rags in the other.

"M-m-master E-e-e-edward, w-wanted m-me to c-come and g-get you cleaned up and dressed." she stuttered.

"You can tell _Edward_," I said making emphasising that I reufused to call him master. "That I don't feel like it right now."

The girl looked utterly terrified.

"Please," she practically begged. "If you refuse then we'll both be in trouble."

I couldn't say no to the look in her eyes. It was one thing to be defiant when only I could get in trouble. I wouldn't give anyone else any trouble. I nodded to her and stood.

"Your bathroom is going to be through that door." she said. She pointed to the door that was behind me.

I turned around and opened it. We both walked in. It was a pathetic excuse for a bathroom. There was a small tub that didn't look much bigger than the barrels they used in the old days. A small porcelian sink was in one corner. An old looking toilet was in the corner. The room looked like it didn't cleaned very often.

The girl pulled out a brush, pulled my hair out of the braid and began brushing it. She was silent until she asked me to take of the jeans and tank top I had on while she ran some water in the tub. Once I was undressed, I stepped in. It was a decent tempature. I would've liked it to be a little warmer but I wasn't in a position to ask.

"I'm Katya." The girl said as she began to shampoo my hair.

"I'm Kari." I replied.

"Nice to meet you Kari." Katya replied.

"It's nice to meet you too. I don't understand the point of getting me cleaned up. What does it matter to him what we look like?"

"Mistress Esme, prefers things be clean. She doesn't like anything dirty, not even her servants. That's probably why she has thirteen girls working every floor."

"How many floors?"

"Three. Then she has five girls on laundry. And five girls who sit in the dungeons as extra."

"What do you mean extra?"

"I know it's hard to believe but the Cullens are a bit nicer than the other vampires out there. When one of us is sick or we need to recover from a beating or something like that, they put one of the extra girls in." Katya explained. "It's my job to make sure all sixty girls get bathed once a week and have clean clothes."

"I guess Esme wants perfection." I said remembering all the bruises and scars.

"I do my job the way I'm supposed to." she replied. The coldness in her tone told me I said the wrong thing. She took a deep breath after a minute. "I'm sorry. I know it looks like I'm bad at keeping them happy. The problem is that I make Master Edward too happy which makes Mistress Bella very upset."

"I don't understand."

By now, Katya had finished my hair and was working cleaning my body.

"I don't know how many rumors were going around in our world but Mistress Bella's and Master Edward's marriage has been going down the tube since the war began. They either don't talk or they fight. The biggest problem is they only have sex once or every four months or so. And before the war they's do it once or twice a night. Well, vampires are horny very horny and they need some way to take care of that. Nobody has any idea how Mistress Bella does it but Master Edward likes to have his fun with the servants." Katya explained.

"That's disgusting!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, I'm one of his favorites. Even when he gets a new girl, like you, he still always comes back to me. Mistress Bella knows what he does and gets very upset. She finds out which one of us he took the night before and she beats us up pretty bad. I've actually got more bruises and scars from her than from what Master Edward does."

"I'm sorry." I felt so bad for her. What had she done to deserve that?

She shrugged.

"It gets me quite a few days off." she said optimistically.

I couldn't believe that she saw that as a good thing. I guess the time here really did mess you up.

By now, I was out of the tub and dressed. I looked at the out fit in the mirror. It looked slightly better than Katya's did. I had a half of tank top, for lack of a better phrase. It was in one piece but there was just enough of it to cover my chest. Both straps were intact but it was low cut and showed quite a bit of my breasts. I had a feeling, Katya was about to be replaced. When I picked up the red thong, I knew she had been. Then I put on the skirt I was given. LIke Katya's, it just barely covered her. It was however; in one piece.

"I'm sorry. I tried to pick something a little less revealing but Master Edward insisted on this." she explained.

I just nodded at her.

"Let's go back to the room so I can do your hair."

I followed her out. She sat on the floor and spread her legs apart and I sat in between them. She french braided my hair. We did that in a sad silence. I think she knew what I just figured out but didn't want to say it. I appreciated that. Shortly after, she finished the door opened and Edward walked in.

I remained where I was but Katya jumped up and went to him immediately. She dropped to her knees in front of him.

"Katya, you can stand." he said. I knew he specifically told her for a reason but I stood as well. He ignored me. "Are you all finished?"

"Yes, Master." she said her voice shaking.

"Good." he said running his fingers up and down her arms.

She was visibly trembling but he just smirked then leaned down and kissed her neck. She flinched. He conitnued his actions for a few more seconds then pulled away.

"Go and finish your work." he told her.

"Yes, sir." she said her voice still shaking.

She bowed and exited the room. Edward looked to me. He spent a moment taking in my appearance.

"You clean up well, human." he said.

I just stood there staring at him. He started walking closer to me which made me step back into the wall.

"This is what you are supposed to be doing. You are supposed to get down on your knees and say thank you master."

"I will never bow to you." I said with as much defiance as I could muster.

He had pinned my arms to my side so I couldn't defend myself.

"You are going to be so much fun. And I can garuntee by the time, I'm through with you, you'll not only bow to me but you'll more than happily do anything I ask." He said.

I felt him rub himself against me. I did the only thing I could to defend myself. I spat in his face.

"Stupid bitch!" he yelled and backhanded me.

I was relieved to not feel his ring as I fell from the force. He grabbe the end of my braid and yanked my head back so hard, I let out a scream of pain. He chuckled.

"You better get used to it down there." he said.

"Go to hell!" I spat out.

He kicked me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me again.

"Don't talk to me about hell. You have no idea what hell is." he said through gritted teeth. "But I can promise you will find out."

I heard the door open and saw Bella walk in. Edward turned to her. I could see the anger in her eyes. Anger, no doubt, directed at me because I was getting attention from Edward. She took a deep breath and spoke she sounded like she was forcing herself not to be angry.

"Alice, Esme, and I are going shopping for a few hours." she stated. "Jasper asked me to remind you that you, he, and Carlisle are supposed to meet Dimitri at the warehouse in a half hour. He wants first pick of this month's stock."

"I remember." he said and walked over to her. "Have fun with the girls." He leaned down to try and kiss her but she turned her face away. She grabbed her purse and walked out the door. Edward put his fist through the wall as the door closed behind her.

He turned on me and I thought I in for it. He simply grabbed me by my braid and dragged me back to my cage.

''I'll be back in a few hours. I advise you get some sleep.'' he growled as he relocked the padslock.

''Is that an order?'' I asked angrily.

''No just a suggestion.'' he growled back and walked out slamming the door.

I was left to contemplate my new situation. It just began to hit me how much of a captive I really was.

**A/N:Please don't tell you that the Cullen's wouldn't act this way? snort Why, because it would ruin your poorly put together plot and altogether unbelievable story line? Because it would show the complete bastardization you have put every single cannon character through? Because it would bring to light the fact that this story is a piece of self-inserted that belongs in the trash? I'm sure that all of these reasons are most likely true. Please stop writing stories and posting them where other people can see them. Whenever an innocent bystander does come along and clicks on them, stories like this burn their eyes. Just stick to writing for only yourself and hopelessly dreaming of your non-existent literature career. Because believe me, crap like your writing? Never gonna get published, not even after you leave the fanfiction world and venture into actually coming up with your own work (not like you would ever be imaginative to come up with something original, anyway.) **

**And to end this: Please, for god's sake, stop writing. You will be doing ALL of us a favor. Thanks.**

**This is a review from my dear friend snort. And all I have to os thank you for those wnderful words of encouragement. I'm going to finish this story just for you and WHEN my first novel is published, it will be dedicated to you. That's all.**


	5. Mistake

**EDWARD**

I always enjoyed going to the warehouse. For some reason it always made me feel better. I had a feeling it had something to do with the level of fear in the place. Or rather the level of fear my being in a room caused. If someone feared me that meant I had control over them. There were very few things left in my life that I had control over. It just feels good to feel in control. I hate not knowing what the outome of something will be.

Which was kind of interesting at the moment because I had no control over the actions of my human right now but I was already having fun. I figured it was because I knew that she would eventually be wrapped around me finger. By the time I was through with her, I'd be so in control that she'd put a gun to her head if I told her to.

We were in Carlisle's mercedes driving to the warehouse to meet Dimitri. He was a good friend of mine. He was one of the first to join our army against the Volturi. Once the vampire's took over and Dimitri took control of Russia, he and I made an agreement. I would get first pick of his newest stock at half price. He would, in turn, get first pick of ours at half price. It was a beneficial deal for both of us. There were times when we just switched slaves.

Like the time I got Katya from him. I was very interested in her. Until I aquired Kari, Katya had been my favorite human to mess around with. With that arrangement, Dimitri had wanted one of ours. Katherine, I think her name was. He had been trying to buy her from us for months and she was the only thing he would except in exchange for Katya. I, of course, took the deal and don't regret it.

I sat in the back of the mercedes staring out the window thinking about Bella. Somewhere along the way, I found myself thinking about Kari. Granted, they were thoughts of the things I would do to her. I just found it odd that I would go from thinking about Bella to thinking about a human. I know I use the human girls to release my sexual tension but I have never went from thinking about her to thinking about one of them. Maybe, it was just the whole thing about her being a new challenge for me.

"Edward," Jasper said from the front seat pulling me out out of my thoughts. "Did you hear me?"

"No." I said. "Sorry, what?"

"I was asking if you were okay?" he stated. "You're being unusually quiet."

"I'm fine." I said. "Just thinking about what I'm going to do to the human."

"Do you really think you're going to break her?" he asked.

"Oh, I know I can." I answered. "Why? Do you think I can't?"

"It's just, from what I sensed the other day, it seems she may have a stronger will than Bella and Alice put together." he answered.

"Well, I can garuntee you, in six months, I will have her totally and completely under my control." I told him.

"Well, I think, in six months, you will have gotten sick of her and either killed her or given her to Bella to appease her. Because, I already know, you're going to spend the next six months screwing the human." Jasper said adding a growl at the end.

Jasper didn't approve of my raping the human girls. Not because he cared about them but because he didn't think that Bella deserved it. I had a feeling she was finding her own way to deal with our lack of sexual activities. I often wondered if Jasper knew. Sometimes I'd slip into his head but he always kept the sex thing in a lock box in the back of it. He was doing the same today.

"Look," I said. "I know you don't like how I handle the lack of sex in my marriage. But I have needs and how I choose to fulfill them is between me and my wife. Besides, she hasn't shown a sexual interest in me since..." I stopped midsentence. I didn't like to talk about the night Nessie was murdered. Whenever I did, the images Aro sent me of what they did to my little girl before I could get there came flooding back. Those were things I didn't want to think about. I took a deep breath and changed my thought. "The point is, both of us have our own way of dealing with this. The only difference is, she knows who I do it with. That's all. So, can we get back to the subject at hand. I know that I can break the human."

"You wanna make a bet on that?" Jasper asked letting my stopped sentence drop. I was always in the mood for a good bet.

"Name the terms." I stated.

"If I win and you haven't broken her down in six months then you aren't allowed to have sex with anyone except Bella for three months." Jasper stated with a grin.

I growled but I knew I was going to win.

"Fine but if I win and she is broken in six months then you aren't allowed to have sex with Alice for three months." I countered.

"Hey, that's a punishment for Alice too, you know?" Jasper exclaimed.

"Then you'd better hope you're right." I said. He thought about it for a minute then stuck out his hand. "And there will be no asking Alice who's going to win." I grabbed his hand and we shook.

"How about you, Carlisle," I said. "You wanna get in on this?"

Carlisle chuckled.

"No but I do wanna know who's going to win. So I may ask Alice." he asnwered.

"No fair!" Jasper yelled. "He could be listening when you do!"

"I give my family there privacy, Jasper." I stated smacking his shoulder.

We fell into a comfortable silence. I was blocking out there thoughts as I always did. A few minutes later, we pulled into the warehouse. There was already a red mustang convertible sitting in the lot. Dimitri was laying on the hood of it.

Dimitri was six foot tall. He was mostly muscle. He had black hair and brown eyes. He had a moustache and his left ear was pierced. He was wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans with holes in them.

When he noticed us in the lot, he got off the car and walked to us.

"Edward, it's wonderful to see you again." he said with his still heavy Russian accent. He reached out his hand and I shook it. They shake turned into a man hug. "And Carlisle, it great to see you too." Carlisle smiled at him and they shook hands. "Jasper." He simply nodded at Jasper, who nodded back.

Jasper and Dimitri never got along. Not even they knew why. It was just something that was.

After we greeted eachother, we headed into the warehouse. Two of the guards opened the doors and bowed us in. When we first decided to begin the human slave trade, we needed humans to guard the warehouse. It was too risky to have other vampires do it. The smell would be too tempting for them. We'd never make a profit.

We decided criminals would be the best route to go. We went to many prisons and found fifty killers and rapists who were to do this for us. We told them that if they worked for us then we'd get them out of prison. We gave them a place to stay and told them all they had to do was keep the prisoners in line.

We kept ten patroling outside and ten keeping the order on each floor. We had four floors. One for the month's new stock then when we were making room for the new ones, we would seperate them into one of three groups. The women were on the second floor. The children on the third and the men on the fourth.

We didn't have half as many men as we did women and children. Most vampires preferred the women who could take care of a home or else wanted entertainment for the guests. Many liked to get the children at a young age because it was easier for them to grow up knowing their place then have to put the effort into teaching them later. The men were only wanted for physical labor but there wasn't much need for that anymore.

The guards bowed us through the second set of doors. The minute we entered the room went quiet and I could smell the glorious fear. I pushed away all the thoughts of sadness, anger, pain and fear as I stepped into the middle of the wide hallway.

Twenty cells, line the walls on either side of me. Each cell contained ten humans. There was an extra one behind me for the ones that Dimitri selected.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a guest today. This is Dimitri. He is here to select the ones of you that he will be taking with him. He will be inspecting all of you cell by cell. When we open your cell, you will walk out in a single file line. Then you will line yourselves up along the hallway. You will all stand in that line until Dimitri has finished choosing the the ones he wants from each cell. If you try to object then the guards will be more than happy to remind you of your place." I said in a voice full of authority.

We walked over to the first cell and the guards, who carried rawhide whips, lined up, five on each side of the door. The door was unlocked and opened, the humans walked out in a single file line and lined themselves done the hallway like they were instructed. Dimitri inspected each one carefully. He stopped to ask some a few questions or touch them in ways that would be considered inappropriate if we weren't in charge. He gave them orders. Finally, he picked out three from the first group.

The rest of the process was long and boring. There were only a few troublemakers that were quickly beaten back down to size. When Dimitri finally finished, he had fifty humans to add to his collection. We had to condense some of the others to make room to seperate them.

"Let's go to the backroom and discuss the price and pick up times. The stench in here is getting to me." I said to Dimitri.

I know it sounds odd that a vampire would find the smell of that many humans disgusting. The thing is all humans smell different.It's kind of like when a human is around several different kinds of food that don't mix. Like taco's and spaghetti. The two smells mix together and it comes out smelling disgusting. All the different human scents together could make a vampire queasy.

We went through a door that led to a room with a table and some folding chairs in it. The room was used as a place for the guard to take a break. The four of us took a seat.

"Okay Dimitri as per our agreement each human is going to be five hundred dollars so that total to 25,000." I told him.

He wrote the check and handed it to me.

"I will have a van here to pick them up at eight in the morning on Monday. Is that alright?" Dimitri asked.

"Of course. We'll make sure the guards have them ready for you." I answered.

We stood and went back to the main room. Once again, silence filled the area as we walked through. I, once again, ignored the hostile thoughts directed at us. Once outside, we said goodbye to DImitri and got back into Carlisle's mercedes.

"So,are you going to be playing with your toy all night?" Jasper asked after awhile.

"Maybe just a couple hours. Why?" I replied.

"Just wondering." he said. The tone of his voice said different. It seemed to me that he was happy that I was going to be spending time with the human. I tried to probe his mind but all I got was visions of he and Alice in different sexual positions.

"That's gross." I said pulling out.

"That's what you get for trying to read my mind." Jasper replied.

I spent the rest the ride trying to block out Jasper's thoughts.

I was excited to find that Alice's porsche wasn't in the driveway when we arrived. That meant the girls were still out. Which meant that I could have some fun with the girl without having to hear it from Bella later. This day was getting better and better. I got out of the car and ran up to mine and Bella's second floor bedroom.

When I opened the door and flipped on the light, I was surprised to find her asleep in the cage. It was a miracle! She actually did somehting that I told her to. I couldn't believe it. I stood there just watching her sleep for a minute. Once again noting how beautiful she was.

Beautiful? What was I thinking? She was a human. A digusting filthy human! She couldn't be beautiful. And yet there she was, just sleeping. I shook my head and pulled the key out of my pocket. I unlocked the cage and opened the door. I reached down and began to shake her.

"Wake up, human." I said. When she didn't respond, I leaned down by her ear and yelled, "Wake up, human!"

Her eyes snapped open and her hand flew to her ear. I smirked at her. She recoiled just slightly. I grabbed her wrist and yanked her out. She whimpered in pain as I dragged her to the bed. I pushed her down on it and straddled her.

**(A/N: This is a rape scene so if you are offended please stop reading until you see another one of these. For those who do read it: This is my first time writing something like this from the rapists P.O.V. Please, don't judge it to harshly. I hope it's good.)**

I grabbed both of her wrists and pinned them above her head. She had fear in her eyes as she wriggled to get free of me. I smirked at her pathetic attempts.

"Please, don't!" she cried. I slapped her. There wasn't enough force behind it to do permenant damage, just enough for it to hurt.

I really didn't want to hurt her too much. Mostly because I didn't want her to have to recover. I wanted to be able to play with her as much as possible. I found though that part of me didn't want to hurt her period. The old part of me that repressed the monster but the monster was winning like it had since Nessie died.

I leaned down to kiss her but she kept her mouth shut. I bit her lips. I was careful to make sure that I didn't want break the skin. Once again, I just wanted it to hurt a little. It worked because she parted her lips to let out a gasp. I took the opportunity to slide my tongue into her mouth. She didn't respond. That was fine with me. Besides, this was for me, not her. I could feel her body shaking with sobs under me. This just aroused me more. I broke from her mouth and moved to her neck.

"Please stop." she cried again. I slapped her once again.

"Shut up and lay still." I yelled.

I continued my kisses down her neck to just above her tank top.

"I have to let your arms go. I need both hands." I told her. "If you know what's good for you, you'll leave them there."

I caustiously released her wrists. I knew she was going to try something. It was only a matter of seconds. Sure enough, the minute I moved my hands to pull the shirt up she slapped me. Screw not hurting her too much. It didn't hurt, of course, but she disobeyed an order and had to be punished.

"Big mistake!" I yelled and punched her in the stomach.

She gasped a sputtered to catch her breath. By the time she did, I pinned her wrist above her head again. Then I leaned down to her ear.

"Listen carefully, whore," I said. "I don't want you to move your arms. If you do one more time, I'll snapped both of them. Do you understand?"

I looked at her. There was more fear in her eyes which aroused me more. After a minute she nodded. I released her arms once more, she didn't move. I pulled her shirt up and began trailing kisses down her upper body. She was still wriggling and pleading for me to stop but I ignored her. I took one of her nipples in my mouth and sucked on it for a minute. This got a whimper out of her. I wasn't positive if it was pain, disgust, or pleasure. After that, I continued to kiss and lick my way down her body.

When I got to her skirt, I pulled that, along with her thong, down to her ankles. I heard her whimper some more. I forced her legs apart then put my hand between her lips, found her clit and began rubbing it with my index finger as hard as I could. She whimpered. This time I knew it was from the pain.

"You like this don't you." I said. I looked up to see her sjake her head. I began to rub a little harder. "Say it!" I said.

"I like it." she choked out and I smirked.

"So, tell me," I said as I removed my finger and undid my own jeans. "Are you a virgin?"

She nodded.

"Perfect." I said with a smile. I liked nice tight virgins and there blood once I was finished.

"Pleas, don't do this!" she pleaded as I positioned myself above her. I simply placed my hand over her mouth and rammed myself into her.

She let out a muffled scream of pain. It had been awhile since I had a virgin and it felt wonderful as a pumped myself deeper and deeper into her. She was crying and begging me to stop. This only made me want to do more.

With the way she she crying and pleading and fighting, it didn't take me long to reach my climax. When I did, I allowed myself to spill into her then collapse on top of her. She was still sobbing from the pain of it. I laid on top of her till my breathing was back to normal. Not that I needed too, it just felt more natural.

Once I got it back I remember another reason I enjoyed virgins.

_**(A/N: This is not the end of the rape scene so keep scrolling down if you don't wanna read. This is just a slightly more disgusting part. So I thought I'd warn those weak stomached people. Read at your own risk.)**_

I pulled out of her and crawled back down till I was between her legs. There was her blood a mess all over her legs and on the bed.

"Please, just leave me alone now." she said and I smirked.

I licked the blood off her legs then I licked what was still between her lips. It tasted as wonderful as the little bit I got from her lip the other day. I once again had to keep myself from ripping her throat open and taking it all. When I could no longer taste any blood, I got off of her.

**(A/N: Now it's all over. The rape and the disgusting bit. So stop scrolling down.)**

I put my clothes back on as she laid on the bed still sobbing. I felt a small tinge of regret as I watched her lay there.Regret? Where'd that come from? I hadn't felt that since the night Nessie was murdered.

"Get dressed!" I growled at her.

I stood there and watched as she slowly put her clothes back on. She looked like every move was causing her pain. That small tinge of regret slowly got bigger and sympathy came with it too. I didn't understand what I was feeling. They were human emotions. Emotions that were buried in Nessie ashes. I wanted to reach out a hand to help her. Like she would accept if I did, though.

Once her clothes were on, she collapsed to the floor from the pain. I didn't know what drove me to do it but I walked to her and offered her my hand. She looked at it then looked to me, eyes full of digust and fear.

"Are you kidding me?" she said. "You do that to me and then have the nerve to offer me help. I don't think so."

I was expecting just that but it angered me still.

"Fine," I said walking over to her cage. "Then crawl."

It took her almost ten minutes to make it to the cage. She still had tears running down her cheeks. When she finally made it in, he shut and locked the cage.

"I'll send the doctor up in a few minutes." I said.

Yes, we had a doctor for them. We pay him to stay at the house and take care of the girls when the beatings take there toll or when one of them are sick. We aren't completely heartless. We also gave his family immunity to us. As long as they are in America, if a vampire even tries to harm his family, we will burn them.

She didn't respond like she heard me. She just laid there sobbing.

I left the room unsure of how I was feeling. The only thing I knew was for the first time in six years, I hated myself for giving in to the monster the I spent centuries keeping at bay.

**A/N: Hugs for reviews. Hugs for flames as well. But I don't let them get me down. You are allowed to have an opinion. I'm allowed to ignore it, though. I just want to say, I'm not demented or anything. I don't know what it is about these kinds of scenes but they kind of just flow for me. Now, if you ask me to write an intimate sex scene, I can't. And it has nothing to do with experience because I haven't experienced either kind of sex. I hope this turned out okay though. This was the first try on doing from the rapist's P.O.V. Let me know what you think.**


	6. Confusion

**A/N: This is the rape scene from Kari's P.O.V. There is more afterward so for those of you who won't be reading the first part, I'll place another author note at the end. **

**KARI**

I wasn't sure how long I laid there thinking before I fell asleep. The next thing I remembered was Edward'svoice.

"Wake up, human." he said and was shaking me. I thought if I didn't respond he'd leave me alone. I was wrong. The next thing I knew, he was right by my ear yelling, "Wake up, human!"

My eyes snapped open and my hand flew to my ear. He smirked at me. I recoiled just slightly. He grabbed my wrist and yanked me out. I whimpered in pain as he dragged me to the bed. He pushed me down on it and straddled me.

When he grabbed both of my wrists and pinned them above my head, I knew what he was going to do. I began to panic and try to wriggle free of him. He simply smirked at my pathetic attempts.

"Please, don't!" I cried. He slapped me.

He barely put anything into it but I still felt the sting. I had a feeling he was holding back. It felt like he didn't want to hurt me. This confused me.

He leaned down to kiss me but I kept my mouth shut. He bit my lips. It wasn't hard enough to break skin, I could feel that. It did; however hurt enough to make hurt. That was his goal because the second I parted my lips to gasp, he slid his tongue into my mouth. I swallowed back the bile that was rising in my throat as I refused to kiss him back. I was vaguely aware of the part of me that wanted to kiss him back. I was sobbing as he continued from my mouth to my neck.

"Please stop." I tried again. He just slapped me again and yelled,

"Shut up and lay still."

He continued his kisses down my neck to just above my tank top.

"I have to let your arms go. I need both hands." he said. "If you know what's good for you, you'll leave them there."

There was no way I was going to let him do this to me when I could try to fight back. Once he released my wrists and went to pull up the shirt, I slapped him forgetting it would have no effect.

"Big mistake!" he yelled and punched my in the stomach.

I gasped and sputtered to get some air. By the time my breathing was back to normal, he had pinned my wrists above my head again. He leaned down to my ear.

"Listen carefully, whore," he said. "I don't want you to move your arms. If you do one more time, I'll snapped both of them. Do you understand?"

He looked at me. I stared back at him hoping my fear wasn't apparent on my face. After a minute, I nodded. He released my arms once more. I didn't move. He pulled my shirt up and began trailing kisses down my upper body. I was still wriggling and pleading for him to stop but he ignored me. I felt him put one of my nipples in his mouth and begin sucking. I let out a whimper of pleasure. Ashamed, I hoped it came out like on of pain or disgust.

How could someone possibly take pleasure in somebody else doing this to them? I was confused and ashamed at the part of me that was enjoying every minute of it. What was wrong with me?

When he got to my skirt, he pulled that, along with my thong, down to my ankles. I whimpered some more. He forced my legs apart then put his hand between my lips, found my clit and began rubbing it with his index finger with a bruising force. It took all my will power to let out a small whimper of pain as opposed to actually crying out. I wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

Still, there was that small part of me that wanted him to keep doing. I pushed back those thoughts as I heard him speak,

"You like this don't you?" He looked and I shook my head. He began to rub a little harder. Something I didn't think was possible. "Say it!" he said.

"I like it." I choked out and was once again ashamed by the part that did.

"So, tell me," he said as he removed his finger and undid his jeans. "Are you a virgin?"

I nodded.

"Perfect." he said with a twisted smile.

"Pleas, don't do this!" I pleaded as he positioned himself above me. He simply placed his hand over my mouth and rammed himself into me.

I let out a muffled scream of pain. It felt like he was ripping me apart inside. I continued pleading with him to stop. He continued to push himelf deeper into me. I was crying and fighting as he continued to without taking noticed. The pain was so intense I nearly passed out from it.

Finally, after one final thrust, I felt his icy sperm spill into me. He collasped on top of me and laid there until his breathing was back to normal. Once he did, he pulled out of me and crawled back down between my legs. I felt the wetness there and knew what he was going to do.

_**(A/N: This is not the end of the rape scene so keep scrolling down if you don't wanna read. This is just a slightly more disgusting part. So I thought I'd warn those weak stomached people. Read at your own risk.)**_

"Please, just leave me alone now." I said.

I felt him lick the blood off my legs then he licked what was still between my lips. I had to force the bile back down my throat. I felt so dirty and ashamed. Once again, there was that small part of me that didn't want him to stop.

He was down there for several minutes before he was satisfied he got all of it and got up.

**(A/N: Now it's all over. The rape and the disgusting bit. So stop scrolling down.)**

He put clothes clothes back on as I laid on the bed still sobbing.

"Get dressed!" He growled once he was completely dressed.

I sat up slowly. It took ten agonizing minutes to get myself dressed. I hurt everywhere and could barely move. Edward simply stood there watching me. I refused to look at him. Once I was completely clothed, I couldn't take the pain anymore and collaspedto the floor.

A second later, I felt Edward standing over me. I tensed myself for a blow but it never came. Instead, he reached out his hand as if to help me. I looked at his hand then into his face. I could see several emotions in his eyes. There was the anger that they always carried. There was also a desire to help me, sympathy, and regret. I was confused by all of this but I wasn't about give him the satisfaction of knowing he hurt me enough to accept his help.

"Are you kidding me?" I said. "You do that to me and then have the nerve to offer me help. I don't think so."

Everything I had just seen in his eyes, disappeared in that instant. Now, they held only anger.

"Fine," he said walking over to my cage. "Then crawl."

It took my ten agonizing minutes to get to my cage. When I finally got there, I crawled in without even looking at him. I collasped and just started crying. I was barely paying attention when he said,

"I'll send the doctor up in a few minutes."

I didn't even know they had a doctor. That definately confused me. I didn't spend much time thinking about because the shock finally took over. I fell into the realm of unconciousness as I heard Edward close the door.

**A FEW HOURS LATER...**

**STILL KARI**

When I regained conciousness, I was laying in the bed with Edward standing over me, again. I panic and jerked my body to get away. Pain shot through my abdomen.

"It's okay." Edward said. "I'm not going to hurt this time. I had the doctor check you out while you were out of it."

"You guys have a doctor?" I asked curious about that.

"Of course, Esme doesn't like to get new girls very often." he replied. "She likes the ones who know what is expected of them. Which is why we pay Dr. Garfunkle to make sure you guys aren't hurt too badly. He's the only human allowed to give us orders. And that's only when it comes to you girls."

I nodded. I noticed that he was trying to keep his cold and detached. I could see all the concern and regret in his eyes so I didn't buy it.

"He has ordered that I not do anything to you for four days." Edward continued. "I figured those four days would be more comfortable in the bed than in the cage."

Once again he tried to sound like he was only trying to follow the doctor's orders but I could tell different. He was radiating concern, kindness, and regret. I just couldn't understand him. It was like he was fighting not to care. I mean, I know why he shouldn't care but why wouldn't he let himself care. Or at least let it show for what it was.

"I have to go see Carlisle. I'm going to have Caroline bring you up something to eat." he finished then walked out.

I laid there, staring at the ceiling trying to figure Edward Cullen out. I knew there was something in his past that made him what he is today. I also knew that for some reason his old self was trying to push its way through. At least, that's what it seemed like to me. If only, I could figure out what happened in his past. Maybe then, I could figure out how to help him.

I didn't know how much time past before the door opened again. Terror filled me as Bella walked in. She stood there staring at me as though she wasn't sure what she was thinking.

"I don't fucking think so!" she yelled. "First, he takes you in our bed and now he's going to let you recover in our bed. Over my pile of ashes!"

She was by the bed in an instant. She grabbed my arm and yanked my off. She then kicked me in the stomach hard. It happened to be in the same place Edward punched me earlier, so not only did it knock the wind out of me, but it sent wave of pain through my stomach. As I tried to catch my breath she kicked me in a couple other places. Then she picked me up and slammed me into a wall.

"Listen well, you little slut." she said in a truly terrifying voice. "If you ever let him touch you like that again, I swear you'll beg for death by the time I'm through wth you!"

"Let him touch me!" I yelled. Like I would ever do that. "If it was up to me, you could have him!"

She backhanded me. Her wedding ring cut into my cheek as I fell to the floor. She didn't seem interested in the blood like Edward would've been. She just kept kicking me wherever her foot landed. My whole body was throbbing. She didn't even give me a chance to beg her to stop.

"BELLA," I heard Edward voice. "STOP IT NOW!" It was truly terrifying. I never saw him that angry again. Bella stopped and turned to look at him. "It's one thing to beat on the family slaves but it's another to beat on mine." Bella growled at him then said,

"Well, I wouldn't have to if you would stop screwing them!" Bella yelled. "If you have to screw somebody, why can't it be another vampire?"

"First of all, if you would screw with me then this wouldn't be an issue." Edward said. "And I use the humans because you're the only vampire, I want to screw!"

Bella didn't say anything after that. She looked at me and gave me one last kicked in the stomach. As she walked out the door she glared daggers at Edward.

Once Bella was out of the room, he walked to me.

"Alice?" he said as he kneeled next to me.

"Yes?" Alice replied as if she had been standing there the whole time.

"Can you go get Dr. Garfunkle?" he said.

"Certainly." Alice replied.

"Are you alright?" he asked me as he picked me up.

"I think so." I replied and he laid me back on the bed.

"I'm sorry." he said.

Once again his attitude was confusing me. Alice returned with the doctor.

**TWENTY MINUTES LATER...**

**STILL KARI**

"She'll be okay." the doctor said. "Just some bruises. I'm going to extend the order to a week. Just to be on the safe side."

Edward nodded and the doctor left. Alice was still there. She and Edward were staring at each other. It was like they were having a silent conversation.

"We'll talk later." Edward told her after a minute. "Kari, I know I said the bed would be a more comfortable spot to recover but the cage might be safer. I'm the only one who has the key. Bella, won't be able to get to you in there."

I nodded. Alice and Edward helped me up and over to the cage. I got in and Edward locked it. Neither her nor Alice said anything as they headed to the door and Edward clicked off the light.

I was left in the dark. I let my confusion about what was going on in Edward's head take over. It made me forget about the pain. I thought about all the different possibilities until exhaustion took over.

**A/N: I know this is a confusing chapter. Especially Edward and Alice. Edward's head is a very confusing place right now but I promise you will understand soon. As far as Alice goes, my next chapter is all about her. With the doctor and the slaves having meals and being able to rest and all that, I hope you guys understand that I was to show that The Cullens still have some humanity. I hope I didn't confuse you too much. **


	7. Alice

**A/N: I hope this chapter doesn't seem too much out of place. I'm giving Alice a bigger role than I had orginally intended. So I hope this doesn't confuse or throw anyone off too much. **

**ALICE**

_Dear Diary, _

_I did something terrible the other day. I drank from my first human in six months. I didn't know what else I could do. The whole family was in front of me. I didn't have a choice. I'm still too scared to tell them that I've gone back to the vegetarian ways. I didn't know what they would do if they found it._

Besides, everythings falling apart. It has been since the war began. Since Bella and Edward starting falling apart. It felt like it was their love that held the family together when times got tough. We knew that if their love survived it then we would too. But when their marriage started falling apart so did the family. All Bella and Edward do is fight. Esme and Carlisle barely speak anymore and when the do it's cold and detached. As for Jasper and I, I know he doesn't love me anymore. I can feel it everytime he looks at me. I have a feeling that he's found someone else and just doesn't want to hurt me by asking for a divorce. I haven't yet had the courage to check the future to see if I'm right. 

_I hate what we've become since the war. When we took over the human world, we forgot that we were all once human too. We were forced into this existence. And we are forcing the humans into an existence were they do nothing but serve us. How is that fair? We're being total hypocrites and no one sees that. Edward always said he'd never condemn someone to his life but weren't we condemning them to a fate worse. _

_And what about what happened to Nessie? She was pulled away from us by an unjust "government." Yet, here we were unjustly taking children and parents away from their families. What's the difference? I don't know anymore. _

_I wish we could just go back to the way were before the war but I don't have the guts to mention it to anyone in the family. Not even Edward. Which just went to show how far apart we had become. I used to be able to talk to Edward about everything. But now, I don't know if I can even trust him not to rat me out. I hate this. I hate them for becoming what they are now. _

_I feel sad all the time. I'm doing the best I can to help take care of these girls but it's getting harder and harder to keep Edward from switching girls every couple months and letting Bella play with the left overs. I makes me sick to see it. _

_He has some horrible things planned for Kari, his new girl. I'm still ashamed about killing her sister. Still, I couldn't avoid it. I hope she can forgive me for it. I still have to talk to her and let her know she can trust me. I hope she will believe me._

I'm really scared for her. Edward and Jasper made a bet because Jasper doesn't think Edward can break her. Edward loves his bets and he makes sure he wins. I took a look to see who wins and all I saw was blackness. I don't know what that means. I have some theories but I think I'll keep them to myself right now. 

_Well, that's all for the night. I'm going to go see Kari. I heard Edward was pretty rough on her last night. Bye for now. _

_L&H,_

_Alice_

I reread the page with my most intimate thoughts of the day then slammed the book shut. I took a deep breath hoping that Kari would accept my help. From what I heard, she'd need a lot of it. I stood up from my desk and headed down to Bella and Edward's second floor bedroom.

I wasn't like the rest of my family. I didn't believe the humans were an inferior race to us. I didn't believe that they were only good enough to be food and slaves. I did until about three months after the war. That was when I met Peyton. She was mine and Jasper's personal slave for awhile.

Peyton was only twelve when Jasper decided that we had to have her and keep her. I remembered watching her cry as we dragged her away from her family. I remembered the look in her mother's eyes as the family kept her from coming after us. Peyton did nothing but cry for a week after we brought her here.

Unfortunately, I couldn't remember my human family at all. I don't remember feeling loved like that as a human. I did; however remember that feeling with my vampire family. I remember what it felt like when I was in danger of having one of them ripped from my life. I remembered how hard it was for me to leave them when the Volturi were threatening Nessie's life the first time.

The thing I remember most though was standing in that dark forest, the Volturi had lured us to, and feeling my heart being ripped away as I listened to Nessie's screams of agony and watched the fire consume her. It hurt worse knowing I couldn't stop it.

I realized that the agony Peyton felt was the same thing I felt when Nessie was taken from us. That was when I realized how wrong everything had become. I did my best to secretly make Peyton feel safe and comfortable. I did my best to keep Jasper and Edward from hurting her. I saved her from a lot of anguish but couldn't save her from death.

I don't even know what happened that night. I came home from shopping with Esme and Bella about two months after Peyton became ours. Jasper had gotten angry about something and beat her up pretty bad. I ran upstairs to see if there was anything I could do. She died from her injuries a few minutes later. I realized in that moment that I didn't want to be part of this world. I didn't want to use the humans. I just wanted us to live in peace with them like we used to.

I convinced the family that we needed to get a doctor so something like this didn't happen again. I made them think it was because it would be easier to keep the others alive so they wouldn't have to teach new girls how to act.

I also made it my personal job to make rounds every night and make sure the girls had everything the needed. If someone needed a few extra blankets or some water or whatever, I take care of them. They were all a little apprehensive at first but soon I had them swayed.

Also, the day Peyton died, I made a vow that I would go back to our vegetarian ways. It was hard to get the control back at first but I did it. Kari's sister was the first in six months. I was still disgusted and ashamed by that. I hoped she could forgive me for it.

As I made my way down the stairs, I found the way blocked by a young girl. She didn't look much older than ten. She was laying on a couple of the steps, crying. I knelt next to her and began to stroke her hair. She looked up, afraid at first but when she realized who it was, she calmed.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" I asked in a kind voice.

"I miss my family!" the girl sobbed.

It broke my heart to hear her say that. She was too young to be seperated from them. Damn the Volturi for screwing everything up.

Yes, I found it was easier to blame the Volturi for all of this. In my mind, none of this would've happened if they wouldn't have killed Nessie. The war would've never happened. Neither would the vampire take over. I knew in my mind it wasn't logical. My family made their own decisions. Still, it was easier for my heart to blame the Volturi.

"I know, sweetie." I whispered and pulled her to me. "What's your name?"

"Paige." she answered.

"I'm sorry. You were taken away, Paige." I said.

I didn't know what else to say. I could tell her I missed my family too. No, she was too young to understand that. I just held her until she stopped crying then I pulled her away from me.

"Why don't you go down to the kitchen and tell Caroline that Mistress Alice said to give you a brownie." I said. He face lit up a little as she got up and headed to the kitchen.

I convinced my family to do a lot. I had to pretend it was for other reason. I told them that we should have the cook, Tanya, make dessert. It would only be given to the girls who did an excepotional job for the day. They were served with the girl's dinner. I; however made it a point to make sure every girl got one every night.

I was surprised none of the others caught me yet. I figured Edward at the very least would've noticed something by now. Of course, everyone was probably too busy drowning in their own problems to notice anything. The point is I was getting away with it. I needed to stop questioning why.

I rose from the stairs and continued to Edward and Bella's room. As I approached, I heard Edward yell,

"BELLA, STOP IT NOW!" It was truly terrifying. I've only once seen him that angry and that was the day his daughter was murdered. "It's one thing to beat on the family slaves but it's another to beat on mine."

I thought I should wait outside until the were done fighting. I heard Bella growl at him then say,

"Well, I wouldn't have to if you would stop screwing them! If you have to screw somebody, why can't it be another vampire?"

"First of all, if you would screw with me then this wouldn't be an issue." Edward said. "And I use the humans because you're the only vampire, I want to screw!"

Bella didn't say anything after that. I heard silence for a second then a small moan of pain and Bella stomped out the door. She was so angry she didn't even notice me. There was more silence as I stood in the hall wondering what just happened.

"Alice?" Edward said. He read my thoughts and knew I was there.

"Yes?" I replied.

"Can you go get Dr. Garfunkle?" he said.

"Certainly." I replied.

I used my vampire speed to run down to the room where the doctor stayed. I knocked on his door. It took him a minute to open it.

"Mistress Alice," he said with a slight incline of his head. I was the only one he had any respect for. Mostly because I tried not to hurt the girls. "What can I do for you?"

"Edward needs you." I said. "I think Bella went after his new girl."

He nodded and we both headed back to Edward's bedroom.

Twenty minutes later, the doctor told us that Kari only had a few bruises. He extended his order for her recovery from four days to a week. Then he left. I was interested in Edward's feelings towards her. He seemed very upset that Bella had hurt Kari. It wasn't the usual upset. It was downright anger.

He looked at me because he heard what direction my thoughts were going. I saw there was the ever present anger but there were many other confusing emotions too. There was regret, sadness, fear, pain, and confusion. What was he thinking about her?

"We'll talk later." he said knowing I suspected something. He turned his attention back to Kari. "Kari, I know I said the bed would be a more comfortable spot to recover but the cage might be safer. I'm the only one who has the key. Bella won't be able to get to you in there."

Kari nodded. Knowing we both had things to tell later, I didn't see the harm in helping him help Kari to the cage. We didn't say anything as Edward locked the cage and we walked out.

**A/N: This one didn't turn out as good as I had hoped it would. I'm not sure why. I think maybe I planned it two days before I wrote it and forgot a lot of my original plan. I hope it turned out okay enough to keep the story moving though. Let me know. **


	8. Secrets

**EDWARD **

We walked up the stairs from my room to Alice and Jasper. I was trying to rearrange my thoughts so I could explain this to Alice, in the least complicated way, I could. Her thoughts on my situation kept coming in and interrupting me.

"Alice, it's hard enough for me to figure out what's going on in my head right now. I don't need to hear others trying to figure it out for me." I said trying not to sound annoyed. It wasn't her fault that I could hear her thoughts.

"Sorry." she said. She quickly averted her attention to her worries of hers and Jasper's relationship.

"So he's still being distant?" I asked. I wanted to averted the attention from myself for a few minutes.

"Yeah, he barely talks to me anymore." Alice answered. "He's barely here anymore. I don't know where he goes. I want to look and see what he's doing but what if he does have someone else? I don't think I could live with that."

"I've been trying to see in his head but he keeps all his sexual thoughts under lock and key when I'm around." I answered. "I'm sure he's just working his own things out. This year has been rough on all of us."

It had only been a year since the war ended. Bella and I were finally able to deal with things. Things were going badly because we had a lot to dwell on for five years. Carlisle was still trying to cope with what he is now. He hated that he gave into himself when he went a century without any human blood. Esme didn't like being around the man that Carlisle had become. He was angry a lot and yelled at her all the time. Jasper, well Jasper had to go back to being something that he promised himself that he wouldn't. Alice was caught on the in between. I had a feeling she didn't like what we had become but she knew it would be hard to go back to what we were.

The lose of Emmett and Rosalie hit us as hard as the loss of Nessie. Emmett and Rosalie's deaths seemed to be thw thing that dropped the curtain on what was left of our old lives. After that, we thought only of gaining the power to seek our revenge. We never thought about anything else along the way. Maybe that's why everything was falling apart.

We reached Alice and Jasper's room, I walked over and sat on the couch wondering vaguely where Jasper had gone tonight. Alice shut and locked the door before heading over to her desk and sitting on it.

"So what's up?" Alice asked.

"Well, when I took Kari the other day, I had every intention of making her my obidient little pet. I was going to get into her head and make her fear me. I wanted and still do want to be able to control every move she makes." I began explaining. "Everything started out fine until last night. I took her, like I've done every other girl in this god damned house! The only problem was what I felt when I finished."

"And what was that?" Alice asked. I could hear ideas coming together in her head and none where that far off.

"I felt sorry for hurting her like that." I explained. "I haven't felt sorry for hurting anyone since... the war." I couldn't bring myself to say since Nessie died. "And I've done the exact same thing to every girl in this fucking place. Never once did I feel sorry for any of them."

"What else?" Alice pressed. Nothing had changed, she still knew to well.

"I was relieved when Dr. Garfunkel told me that there wasn't any permenant damage. I found myself not only wanting her to spend the four days recovering but I also wanted her to be comfortable. You know me now, I could careless about the comfort of humans. Then when I walked in to find Bella beating her something inside broke. And I was so angry. I mean, Bella goes after these girls all the time for what I do to them. I never really cared before. I figured if it helped her then it didn't matter. Then I saw her hurting Kari and I wasn't going to have it."

Alice knowing I had more to say nodded to show she was still listening.

"I was supposed to get inside her head but she's getting inside mine. I mean I still want her to be my pet and obey my every command. I want to khurt her when she doesn't listen. I want her to fear me. But after I'm done hurting her, I want to wrap my arms around her and tell her how sorry am I. I want to tell her I won't do it again and that she's safe with me."

_"It's kind of like with Bella." _I don't think she meant for me to hear that thought.

"No, it's nothing like with Bella. Bella only had to worry because of her blood. But Kari, doesn't have blood like that. Yes, it is the best that I've tasted since Bella's but I don't have to keep myself from killing her when I smell it. Maybe, when I taste it but not smell it. With Kari, it's more like I want to have her both ways. As a pet and as a friend. For lack of a better way to put it, right now." I explained. "I know I can't have both but I don't know which I want more."

Alice let out a mental chuckle. She didn't think I was making sense. Wonderful.

"It seems like the two sides of your life are colliding and you don't know which way to go." she said. "The human you spent a century trying to be wants to keep this girl safe but the monster, who is stronger wants to see her in pain. Edward, you're going to have decide which one you want to be for eternity."

I had a feeling that she was going to say that. I wasn't ready to make the distinction just yet. I figured I'd let time tell how things would turn out.

"Okay, enough about my problems." I said. "I know you've been having issues lately. I also know that you afraid to talk to anyone because of what the family may say or do. I want to assure you that nothing has changed between you and me. If you need to tell me something but don't want the family to know then I won't tell them anything. I promise. You can still trust me."

**ALICE**

I heard his words but still wasn't sure if I should believe him. His moods were really crazy lately. What if he got mad at me and told someone? What if the family threw me out? What if Edward decided to dispose of me himself? So many what ifs.

Then again, he's never broken a promise. Not even during the uncerain times of the war. If he said he was going to do something for you, he did it. So should I have faith in that or should I just let it go. I met his eyes for a minute and saw a brotherly love there that I hadn't seen for the longest time. I knew in that instant, I could trust him to keep my secret.

"I don't like what we've become. I don't like that we're back to treating the humans inferior beings. I don't like that we see them as only good enough for food or to do our housework. I just don't like any of it."

Edward nodded for me to continue.

"I've hated it all since Jasper brought Peyton here. I advised you guys to hire a doctor simply because I couldn't bear someone else dying by our hands. It's not right or fair. And I have been back on the animal diet. Kari's sister was the first human in six months."

Edward gave me one of his crooked smiles. It wasn't one of the evil twisted ones, he's had for the past year but a real one. I continued,

"I hate seeing these girls taken from there families. And forced into a life they didn't ask for. It's too hypocritical for my tastes. I mean, look at us, none of us asked to be vampires but we were forced into this existence. Now we force the humans into a life they didn't aske for. How is that fair?"

I took a deep breath. I was about to bring up the conversation ender but I had to say it. I prepared for the anger that was coming.

"And I want you to do something for me. It's the only way to completely understand were I'm coming from with my next point. Think about how you felt that day in the forest..."

"Don't go there, Alice." he growled calmly.

"When you had to watch your child die for no reason." I finished. "And now you make these girls' parents go through the same thing."

"That's different." he replied.

"How?"

"Look, I don't wanna have this conversation, right now. I can't even think about that night!"

"You need to. You'd feel a lot better if you did."

"No, I won't!" He got off the couch and headed to the door.

"You know, you're not the only one who lost someone that night. Carlisle and Esme lost their only granddaughter. Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, and I lost a niece. Emmett and Rosalie died to help avenge her! So don't stand there and act like you're the only one who lost her. We've all dealt with it. It's time you did too." I said and went after him. He froze with his hand on the knob.

"It's different for the rest of you." he said his voice cracking. "You only had to watch her die. Do you know the only things they thought about when we were standing there?"

I shook my head. This was the first time he said anything about that night.

"They thought about the horrible things the did to her! I had to see it all. I can't deal with thinking about my sweet little girl in that kind of pain. That's why I don't think or talk about that night. Not because I think I'm the only one who lost someone. I can't think about it. It hurts too much." With that he twisted the knob and yanked the door open. "I have to go for a drive. Tell Katya not to come to me tonight. I'm liable to kill her in this state."

He walked out and slammed the door behind him. I went back to my desk to ponder this bit of information. I had no idea, he saw those things. I didn't even like to think what the Volturi were capable of.

Today's conversation helped with something though, I had hope for my brother. His was opening up about that night, if only a little. And he was feeling human emotions again. Maybe Kari could help him.

Having something to hope for, I pulled my diary out of the lock box I kept it in and began writing another entry.

**A/N: I hope you have a better idea of Edward's attitude now. Yes, I will give a more in depth explanation of that night with Nessie. Also, I've been dropping some settle hits about a future event. I'm not sure if I'm doing a good job or not. So if you could please send me a review telling me if you think you know what the hints are for. I won't tell yopu if you're right or wrong. I just want to know if I'm good at hint dropping or not. Hugs for my reviewers! **


	9. Changing

**EDWARD **

I walked to my room trying to push back the thoughts that Alice just brought up. I didn't even look to Kari in her cage. I knew if I did, I'd unleash the anger that was coming in terrible waves. I didn't want to do anything I'd regret to her. I grabbed my keys of the dresser and headed for the garage.

I jumped in my volvo and just drove. I vaguely noticed that Bella's car was gone. Where was she? I didn't give a shit right now. When you're hearing you daughter's screams of pain ringing in your ears, you didn't really care about anything else.

I drove like eighty over the speed limit. The cops wouldn't say anything because of who I was. I had to outrun the sounds and images were pulling through. I don't know how long I drove before I realized, the memories weren't going away. I pulled over in the parking lot of a closed park.

I closed my eyes and saw my daughter's final hours. I heard her screaming from the pain and begging them to stop. I saw Jane just staring at her as she screamed in pain. They bit her several times, commenting on how her blood was better than any full human. I watched as they ripped her clothes and violated her, more than once. She was so scared. She was begging for someone to help her.

My family was too late to save her from those horrors. We thought, though, that we had gotten there in time to save her life too. We were wrong. They killed right in front of us. It was the worst thing I had ever had to endure. Watching my daughter being burned alive. She begged for someone to save. God knows, we tried but we couldn't.

Maybe Alice was right. Maybe everything we were doing right now was hypocritical. I supposed we were ripping other families apart just liike the Volturi did ours. To tell you the truth, though, I liked that thought.

I liked being surrounded by people who were going through the same pain I was. I liked knowing there were mothers and fathers out their who lost their children like I did. I liked being able to grab one of the girls whenever I was angry and relieveing some of that anger on them. I guess that's not the best angle to look at it though.

Just because I wanted or liked it, didn't make it right. That's one thing the old Carlisle had taught us. Always do what's right. So why weren't we following that now?

I think it has something to do with us spending a century doing what was right. We tried to avoid hurting humans. Hell, we lived like humans. We never used our powers to try to control the humans. The powers that be decided to reward us by taking away someone we cared deeply about. Once we realized that was the case, we stopped trying to live by what's right. Why should we if we wouldn't get anything out of it.

That took the faith and conviction that Carlisle had in God away. He was done thinking that if we played by God's rules we'd get into heaven. That's the thing that pulled us apart. Carlisle's faith was everything. It gave us faith so when his was gone so was ours.

I do pray, though, that God had mercy oon Nessie's soul. It wasn't her fault that she was born part monster. At the same time, though, I fear, if she is up there, what she's thinking about what her family has become. Did she hate us? Did she fear us? Was she still proud to say she was a Cullen?

I wanted to be able to say that we got past it all okay but that wasn't possible here. Sometimes, I do wish we hadn't gone the revenge route. Then maybe Bella and I wouldn't be fighting all the time. Emmett and Rosalie would still be alive. Alice would know where Jasper goes when he leaves most nights. Carlisle and Esme wouldn't be giving each other the cold shoulder. Things wouldn't have had a chance to fester the way they did.

If we hadn't started a war, we could've spent five years talking and figuring out where to go from there. Instead, we spent five years planning battles and coming up with different tactics. We allowed ourselves to let that hate we felt toward the Volturi spill out to everyone who could be a potential threat to our happiness.

I've known, all along, somewhere inside me, that everything we were doing to the humans were wrong. Somewhere along the way, I just stopped caring. Alice was right in her thoughts and actions.

There needed to be another change but were we ready to make another. No, not yet, not until we resoleved our family issues. That's the only way we were going to survive. We had to know we could depend on each other like the family we used to be. We had to stop all this fighting, lying, and not talking. It was the only way anything would work.

It looked hopeless. I knew from observing the rest of the family that Alice and I were the only ones who thought a change was needed. Bella was too angry with me and the world to think it deserved anything better. It would be even harder for Jasper to go back to the old ways, now that he finally gave into himself. Carlisle wasn't ready to put his faith back into something that huge. And Esme, sometimes, I think Esme just wants it all to be over. I don't think she cares about much anything anymore. If I had to say, I'd guess only Jasper, Alice, Bella, and I mattered to her anymore. I think her and Carlisle are so angry at themselves and each other, they can't possibly be in love anymore. How did things get so messed up? Was it even possible to fix things anymore?

I knew things had to change. I also knew that things were too messed up to get any better. The first thing was for me to change myself. If I was going to help anyone, I needed to be a better person. I knew I wasn't ready for as big a step as giving up the slaves but i could start small. I could try to go back to the all animal diet.

I mean, I had my own personal human to help with the craving. My main diet would be the animals but when I got a craving for human, I take just enough from Kari to soothe the craving. I just had to be careful and make sure to wait at least forty eight hours between my feedings on her. I didn't want to make her too weak.

I don't know how long I sat in that park before I drove back to the house. When I pulled into the garage, I noticed Bella's car was still gone. It still didn't bother me. She had a habit of leaving at night and not coming back until the next day.

I walked up to my room, put my keys on the dresser, and walked over to Kari. She was curled into a ball, asleep, on the floor of the cage. I figured she was dreaming about something far away from here. Her lips were curled into a smile. It was the first one I had seen from her and I had to admit, I wanted to see more of it. She shivered slightly but didn't

Not sure, once again, why I was doing it, I walked over to one of our closets and pulled out a comforter. I unlocked the cage and tucked it around her. I relocked the cage and headed to the door.

I needed to apologize to Alice. She had made me think. I understand how wrong things were thanks to her. I may not be ready to completely face what happened that night but she made me think. That's what I really needed to do.

I clicked off the light, closed the door, and headed for Alice's and Jasper's room.

**BELLA**

I walked in to the hotel. It wasn't too busy. Most pople didn't leave home too much anymore. They were afraid of a vampire attack. The clearly didn't understand, we could attack them no matter where they were. They'd learn eventually. I walked up to the man at the front desk. I didn't have to tell the man who I was. I rented the same room almost every night.

"Ah, Mrs. Cullen," the man said. "Your gentleman friend is up in your usual room waiting for you."

"Thank you." I said and headed to the elevator. When I stepped in, I pressed the button for the second floor and waited for the doors to close.

I thought about what I was about to do. I felt slightly hypocritical about it. I was always mad at Edward for doing things with the slaves but here I was about to do it the same thing. It's not that I care that he's screwing around. It's more an insecurity that he went from me to petty human girls. It hurts that he took that step down from me.

He always told me they didn't matter to him. That made me even more upset about this because I really did love the man I was about to see. I just haven't had the guts to tell anyone because it would cause a lot of hurt. I didn't care about the people it would hurt. Not that I cared about that. I just didn't want Edwrd on my ass about being a hypocrite. My gentleman friend; however wasn't ready for to see them hurting like that yet.

It was for these reasons that we decided to keep this between the two of us for as long as possible.

We loved each other, though and were planning on getting married. We just had to wait for the right time to tell people.

The elevator stopped at my floor and I walked to room 203. I opened the door and walked into the arms of the only man who understood what I was going through after losing my daughter.

**A/N: Who was it? Anyone have any ideas? I wasn't going to put that in the end but I figured I'd drop one** **semi big clue. I hope it worked in okay. Let me know what you think. And no Edward is not completely back to normal, yet. Alice just gave him a push in the right direction. Kari has to help her get him all the way there.**


	10. Trust

**A/N: Okay, so I'm not sure how this chapter will turn out but I thought things were moving a little too quickly and wanted to slow them down a bit. I hope it flows with the story alright. There is a purpose in it, though, I promise. **

**KARI**

_I was standing in the center of a circular room. There were no windows and only one door. My heart was pounding in my chest as I stood simply staring at the door. It felt like I was waiting for my destiny to walk through the door. _

_After a few seconds of staring, I got sick of waiting and ran to the door. I tried to yank it open but it was locked. _

_"Damn It!" I yelled and went back to the center. _

_I had to find a way out. The only question was how? I didn't even know where I was. My heart began pounding faster as I heard the lock on the door click. The door opened and in walked Edward. He had an evil twisted smile on his face. He pulled the door shut behind him and relocked the door. _

_I started to panic at that point. I was locked in the room, alone, with the monster Edward. I backed myself into the wall as he came closer to me. He walked until he was right in front of my face. He took one finger and traced my jawline with it. _

_"Don't be afraid." he whispered. "I won't hurt you, much." he smirked. _

_"Please leave me alone." I begged. _

_"I don't think so. Besides, I know how much you enjoyed what I did last night." he replied._

_I felt him rub himself against my inner thigh. I forced down the bile that was rising in my throat. Knowing I couldn't physically hurt him, I spat in his face. _

_"Stupid bitch!" he yelled and backhanded me. _

_I fell to the floor of the room. _

_"You will learn to respect me." he said then kicked me in the stomach. _

_Once I got my breath back, he yanked me back up by my wrists. I let out a whimper of pain mixed with fear. He pinned me to the wall and pressed his lips to mine with a bruising force. He moved down to my neck and I continued to beg him to stop._

Suddenly, I was no longer pinned to the wall. Edward was in the center of the room, crouching to attack himself. That confused me. I sank to the floor and, not wanting to see the fight, buried my face in my hands. I heard growling and the sounds of limbs being ripped off. I didn't want to see it so I didn't look up to see who was winning. Then I smelled fire and looked up to see Edward standing in front of me. 

_His eyes were full of nothing but love and regret. He scooped me up into his arms. His skin was cold against mine but it didn't bother me much. _

_"It's okay, the monster's gone forever." he whispered. _

_I smiled and snuggled closer to his chest. I felt safe with this Edward. I knew he'd protect me from everything. I guess his cold skin was effecting me more than I thought. I shivered slightly. A minute later, a blanket had appeared around me out of nowhere. I simply pulled it closer around me as Edward carried me to a place where I'd always be safe. _

My eyes fluttered open. I felt the heaviness of a blanket on me. I smiled. The decent Edward really was in there somewhere. I just had to find him.

I thought about the dream and knew right away what it meant.The two Edwards were fighting for control of the one body. Right now, the evil Edward was winning but good Edward was trying to fight through. I slightly prayed that good Edward would win. He had to win. Then maybe things could be okay again.

**EDWARD**

I walked up to Alice's and Jasper's door. I hoped she was still there. As I knocked I tried to block out her carefully concentrated thoughts. I had a hard enough time trying to figure my own thoughts out, I didn't need anyone elses right now.

A couple seconds later, Alice answered.

"I knew you'd come back." she said with a smile and stepped back to let me in.

I walked over to the couch as she shut and locked the door. I took a deep breath. It wasn't very often anymore that I apologized but I did when I knew I was wrong. The hard part was admitting that I was wrong.

"I'm sorry." I said. "It was wrong of me to walk away like that. I know you were right."

Alice looked at me with sympathy.

"No, I was wrong to bring it up." she said. "I know you still have your issues with that night. I had no idea, though, how bad things were for you."

"You could've known. I haven't even told Bella what I saw that night." I told her.

"Your secret's safe with me." she replied.

"You were right, though. I mean about needing a change." I explained. "It's not going to be easy. Especially without the support of the family. I'm not sure I can go all the way back to what I was. I think the war's changed me too much. It's broken me into too many pieces. I don't htink the y could all be put back together again. I want to try but I have to start small. And I need a lot of support from you."

"Okay." Alice nodded. "As long as you keep trying, I will support you."

"I don't think I could give up the girls, yet." I said. "I need that outlet. I'm sorry."

Alice nodded again. I knew she didn't want that anymore but she knew that I couldn't just stop things cold turkey. This has been my life since the war began. It took a lot to turn me into what I am now. It would take a lot to turn me back to who I was.

"And as far as going back to the all animal diet. I'm willing to try, under one condition." I said.

"And that is?" Alice asked.

"I'm going to be using Kari to curb my cravings for human blood."

"Fine, but I have a condition for that."

"What?"

"I want to be there when you do it. I want to be able to make sure that you don't take too much. And since it will weaken her, I want to make sure you don't take advantage of her in that state."

"Fine."

"I'm proud of you for trying." Alice told me.

"Thanks." I said.

"By the way, I saw something concerning you and Kari, while you were gone. You wanna see?"

"No, I want to watch things play out on their own."

Alice nodded. I rose from the couch to leave but she grabbed my wrist.

"Can I go talk to her?" Alice asked.

"You won't help her get away?" I did trust her.

I just knew when Alice felt strongly about something, she pulled out all the stops. Alice let out a sad chuckle.

"Unfortunately, with the world being what it is now, this is the safest place for them to be."

I pulled the key to Kari's cage out of my pocket and handed it to her.

"Thank you." she said and slipped the key into her pocket. "Where are you going anyway?"

"Out for a practice hunt. I suppose. I still have some thinking to do."

"About Kari."

I nodded. She gave me one of her all knowing smiles as I stepped out of the room.

**KARI**

I wasn't sure how long I sat in the dark contemplating Edward before the lights flicked on. My heart skipped a beat. I prayed it wasn't Edward. Or at least not Edward the monster.

I turned to find Alice standing in the doorway. She walked in, shutting and locking the door behind her. I wasn't sure if I should be scared or not. So I backed up a little in the cage trying not to show too much fear.

"It's okay." Alice said. "I'm not here to hurt you."

She pulled a key out of her pocket and walked to the cage.

"I thought Edward was the only one with the key?" I said.

"He is." Alice answered. "This is his key."

I started to panic a little. Edward wasn't going to be happy when he found out, Alice had taken his key. He wouldn't be happy to know Alice was talking to her without permission. I opened my mouth to say these things as she gestured me out off the cage. She cut me off,

"Don't worry. I got his permission to talk to you."

I crawled out of the cage. Still unsure whether or not, I should be afraid. Her demeanor seemed friendly but you could never tell. She led me over to the bed and gestured for me to sit.

"I have some things, I need to say." she told me. "If you don't mind listening, that is."

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" I said. "_Mistress _Alice says listen so that's what I have to do. Am I right?" I waited for her to hit me for the sarcasm I used. She never did. She simply shook her head.

"That's not how _I _want it to be." she responded. "If you don't want to listen then I'll just go."

Was this some kind of joke? Did she really mean what she said? Or was she going to hurt me the first chance she got? I looked into her eyes. I saw only love, consideration, and concern. Somehow, I knew I could trust her.

"I'm listening." I stated.

"First, I want to tell you how much I deeply regret what I had to do to your sister. I'm so very sorry." she said.

She sounded so sincere. I saw all that sincereity inher eys when I looked at them.

"If my family wasn't around, I wouldn't have done it." she continued. "I don't believe humans should be used as slaves and food. I'm afraid of how my family would react to knowing that. I don't want to be cast out."

"I understand." I said.

I really did. Family was important and it was hard to lose them. I knew. The lose of my family still burned brightly in my head. The thing that stood out most was Edward's voice giving his permission.

Alice seemed to know what turn my thoughts were taking.

"I'm so sorry." she said. "My family killed your family. Their probably the last people you want to talk about."

"No, Alice." I said. "It's not your fault. It was my own stupidity that go them killed."

"No, Kari, that wasn't stupid, it was brave." Alice stated like a proud parent. "To stand up to six vampires, led by Edward, without showing a single ounce of fear."

"Fat lot of good it did!" I yelled suddenly angry. Not at Alice but myself. "If I hadn't hid them, maybe we woudl've all been, okay."

"That's not true." Alice stated. "Edward makes it a point to take at least one member of every family we raid."

"Why?"

"That's something he can explain better than I can. I knew he was going to take you, for his own, from the moment you walked in that living room, even before you started defying him. I could tell by the way he was studying you. He hasn't looked at anyone like that since Bella. But had you all been obidient little dogs, as my family likes to say, then it was possible that one or more of them would've ended up with a fate worse than death. Believe me, it may not have seemed like it but Edward was showing them mercy because it was what you wanted." she explianed.

"But why would he care about what I wanted?" I asked. "He just wants to control me."

"You don't know him the way I do." she answered. "The war has changed and reshaped us from what we use to be. We still hold a lot of hate. So much happened in the war and all of us lost ourselves. Luckily, thanks to a girl Jasper brought home, I found myself. Edward's fighting to find himself. It's a tougher fight for him than the rest of us though. He has so much hate and anger and no one else to unleash it on.WHich brings me to the next thing I wanted to talk to you about. Don't give up on him."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you see the good side of fughting through. You may be the only one that could get it out of him totally. You just have to keep helping him fight."

"And how do I do that?"

"Keep fighting him. Don't ever give in. Then he'll find, not everyone can be broken. He may also see that broken things can be put back together. You just can't give into him."

I nodded. I had no intention of ever doing that. Now, I had new conviction. I could save Edward by not letting him win. I could save other inoccent people too but Edward was the only one who seemed important. Alice continued talking. I could tell she didn't like to stick to one subject for long.

"Also, I want you to know that I'm here for you. If you need someone just send one of the girls to me and I'll come." Alice said. "I take care of everyone. And that includes you."

I nodded. I could tell from the look in her eyes that she meant what she say. It was nice to know I had a friend who would take care of me.

"Why don't you tell me about your family?" Alice asked after a moments silence.

"Why?" I asked contemplating telling her about my sister, Dierdre.

"Because I heard talking about the loss of people you care about helps." she replied. "I also know it's true from experience."

"Well, and please keep this between you and I, I haven't lost all of them." I said. I felt I could trust her with this information.

"What do you mean?"

"My parents had their oldest child at fifteen. My older sister, Dierdre is now thirty and lives in Palmer, Alaska with my aunt. She went there after she graduated to study theater. She got pregnant during her second year. My niece, Katherine, is now ten. My sister still finished getting her degree. She married her boyfriend and got a job at the local high school. Two years later, she had my nephew, Nathan, who is now five."

I didn't know why I was telling her all of this. I was just giving her amunition if she ever got mad at me. Somehow, though, I knew it would stay our secret.

"And she's expecting her third in three months." I finished.

"Well, when we decide to go to Alaska, I will do the best I can to keep, Edward and the family away from them."

"Thanks, Alice." I said. She smiled at me and pulled me into a hug. When we pulled apart her face broke into a smile. "Hey, Edward, how did it go?"

Edward. That surprised me. I didn't even hear the door open. I hope he didn't hear too much about what I just told Alice. I was afraid to turn around. I didn't know which Edward would be standing there. As long as Alice stayed in the room with me, though, I knew I'd be safe.

"Good." he replied. "But I need something to wash down the horrid taste."

I wasn't quite sure what he was talking about. Alice was nodding her head, though, so I assumed it was okay.

"Well, we didn't discuss how we were going to do it." Alice stated.

"I've already thought of that." He walked to the dresser and beckoned to Alice to follow.

He pulled something out of the drawer and showed it to her. They both stood blocking my view.

"Should we tell her what you're going to do?" Alice asked.

"It would be less painful for her if she did it willingly." Edward responded.

"And do you want it to hurt?" Alice questioned.

My heart was pounding in my chest. I didn't know what they wanted to do but it didn't sound pleasant. If they needed my consent, I wouldn't give it to them. That's all there was too it.

"No." Edward answered Alice.

That surprised me. Wasn't the sole purpose of my being here for his entertainment? I thought he enjoyed my pain.

"Kari," Alice turned back to me as Edward slipped whatever it was it his pocket. "Like I said earlier, Edward wants to change. The first step to his change is to once again stop seeing humans as food. He just had his first animal hunt in a year. But in wasn't enough. He's been drinking so much human blood now that he craves it more. We need you to curb the craving."

"You want me to let him drink from me?" I asked. "You want me to help him."

I couldn't believe Alice would ask me to do something that directly connected to him. Defying him was one thing because that helped me too. This would help him but hurt mean. Not to mention, leave me completely vulnerable to him for a good twenty four hours or so.

"Yes." Alice answered. "I'll be here the whole time. I'll make sure he keeps it in check. I'll kill him if he tries to touch you, while you're week. Besides, he still has to follow the one week order from the doctor."

"And I follow those orders." Edward said. His voice was soft and sweet. It wasn't the monster's voice. "I swear, I won't hurt you."

He went and sat on the bed next to me. I took a look into his eyes. There was no anger or hostility. I felt like he was trying to tell me if I said no, then he wouldn't do it. That's what made me ask the obvious question,

"Why don't you make me?" I hope I made it sound like a sincere question. I didn't want to think about what he would do if he thought it was sarcasm.

"Because taking it forcefully is very painful for the victim. If they are willing then it isn't so bad." Edward explained. "And let's not get into this right now but I really don't want to hurt you more than I have to."

I was bewildered by his statement but I let it drop.

"What do I have to do?" I asked.

Something inside told me it would be okay. I don't know why I felt I could trust Edward. Perhaps, it was his eyes. I liked the beautiful butterscotch color they were. I'm guessing it came from feeding on animals. His was being so kind but I didn't sense any reason to think it was phony. Maybe, Alice was rubbing off on him.

"I need your wrist." he said. As he pulled the object out of his pocket. It was a dagger.

I took a deep breath and held my left wrist out to him. Alice grabbed my right hand, reassuringly. I watched as Edward dragged the point of the blade across my wrist. I flinched slightly from the pain and squeezed Alice's hand. When the blood started pooling on the wound, I had to bury by head in Alice's chest. The sight of blood made me queasy.

I felt some slight discomfort as Edward began sucking from the room. I felt weaker with every bit that he took from me. It did hurt a little but i cringed my teeth from the pain of it. Alice stroked my hair and whispered that he was almost done.

I wasn't sure how long it lasted but when Edward finished he released my wrist. I let it fall limply next to me. I felt weak and dizzy. I watched dazed as Edward walked over to another drawer and pulled out a box. Then came back to the bed.

"I didn't make it deep enough to need stitches." he said.

Too weak to hold myself up, I laid back down on Alice's chest. I was concious as Edward tended to the wound. The the exhaustion took over. \

**EDWARD**

I quietly thanked Alice for being there as I put the first aid kit back. I almost took too much. In fact, I think she let me take a little more than I should because she was trying to watch me and comfort Kari.

"How long do you think before Bella comes home?" I asked as I walked back to the bed.

"A few hours, why?" Alice replied.

"I want Kari to be comfortable while she rests. But i can't risk Bella walking in when she out of the cage again." I answered.

I hated Bella and her jealous tendencies. Besides, she was probably out screwing someone right now. So what was so wrong with what I did? She was so hypocritical.

"If you want to let her have the bed. I'll sit outside and distract Bella when she comes home. That way you can move Kari." Alice answered.

"Thanks." I said.

She helped my lay Kari down and cover her up.

"I want tell Katya to get her some better clothes." I said.

I no longer had an interest in the reason she wore next to nothing. Well, I did but I wouldn't force her again. I didn't think I'd force her to do anything again. She was just to sweet and beautiful.

Alice went to sit outside for Bella as I watched Kari sleep. I realized as I watched her, Alice helped open the door but I was changing for the beautiful and brave girl laying in my bed.

**A/N: Okay, I think this ending is better. Don't worry. Bad Edward will be back every now and then. I hope it didn't seem to random. I'm sorry for the sucky dream at the beginning. It was the best I could come up with. Also, Dierdre and her family will be important, later. So that wasn't random or anything. This chapter was to basically show the friendship forming between Alice, Edward, and Bella. **


	11. Album

**A/N: I'm sorry this one took so long but I promise it was worth waiting for. BTW: I made a small change, Bella and her guy friend do not care about not hurting the others. In fact, they are very vindictive and would do anything to make the others suffer. Which is why their drawing out the secret so long. The longer it lasts as a secret the more it will hurt the others. **

**KARI**

Things went up and down over the next month. When Katya came in to help me get cleaned up at the end of that first week, she had brought me a different outfit. This one was a camisole that covered the entire upper half of my body and a pair of comfortable sweat pants. She was a little colder than she was when we met. I figured it was because, since, Edward wasn't allowed to use me for his sexual frustrations that week, he had used Katya, instead. I felt so bad about it. The odd thing was, though, Edward didn't touch me like that again, even after my recovery week was up.

I still feared him when he walked into the room. I never knew which Edward I was going to get. Sometimes, he would ignore me completely. Sometimes, he'd try to talk to me but it would be too awkward. Others, he'd be angry, usually over a fight he had with Bella. Those times he'd hurt. It was never bad enough to leave permenant damage but it was very painful. After these beatings, he would craddle me in his arms and tell me how sorry he was.

I would always let him do this because I know how hard he's fighting with himself. I figured, if I had it in my heart to show him that I could forgive him for the things he does to me, then he could learn to forgive himself for whatever happened in his past. I still hadn't figured that out yet but I wasn't giving up.

Edward drank from me once a week. Both, he and Alice kept there promises. She was there, to monitor him every time and he didn't take advantage of her weakness once he finished.

Alice was becoming like another sister to me. We talked about anything and everything. Edward even had another key made for her so she wouldn't have to keep asking for his. I learned that she was right.

We talked about my family, a lot. It really did help. She, in turn, told me stories about her family before the war. The were times when she would stop in the middle of a story. Or she'd skip certain bits. I figured it was the parts of Edward's life that he wasn't ready for me to know about it.

I spent a good amount of the month trying to get Alice to tell me what started the war. She always told me that it was something Edward would tell me when he was ready.

Things didn't really start improving until a month after I was brought there. Alcie told me they were going to get the new month's stock. That worried me a little. What if Edward found another girl he liked better? Would he let Bella finish me off? Even though, he and Alice worked very hard to make sure she wouldn't be alone with me.

I think Alice sensed my worry because she told me that Edward wasn't going to get a new girl. Then she gave me one of her knowing smiles and bounced out of the room.

Before they left for their week long trip, Edward granted me permission to move around the room as I liked. I was allowed to sleep in the bed. He said he'd lock the door and have Caroline put my meals in through the cat flap. He also gave me permission to listen to his C.D.'s as I wished.

There was a catch though. He had a list of things that he wanted done before they got back. They were simple things like organizing the C.D.'s and books that littered the room, cleaning both my bathroom and Bella and Edward's, organizing the closet, etc. It was just meant to keep me busy for the week that I didn't have company.

On the last day, I had everything done except organizing the closet. I still had about an hour and a half before they came back. That was plenty of time for me. I opened the closet door and began pulling things out. There were mostly towels and blankets in there. I understood why the towels. Bella bathed about three or four times a week. I wasn't sure if she needed to or if she just found it relaxing. The blankets I didn't understand, though. I mean, they didn't have to look normal because everyone knew they weren't.

I finished clearing off the bottom three shelves then I noticed the fourth. It didn't look like there was anything up there but I didn't want to give Edward a reason to be angry. I pulled the desk chair over to the closet and reached onto the shelf. I only felt one thing. It felt like a book. I pulled it out to look at it. It turned out to be a photo album.

It was covered in a thick layer of dust. By the look of it, it was thrown on that shelf and forgotten about.

My curiousity got the better of me as I sank into the chair and flipped the album open. The first picture was of the Cullen family. I recognized Carlisle, Esme, Bella, Edward, Jasper, and Alice. On the left side of Alice there was a blonde girl whose beauty surpassed anything that I had ever seen in my life and there was a big burly guy next to her with his arm draped over her shoulder. I figured they were Rosalie and Emmett, from what Alice had told me about them. There were two people I didn't recognize. There was a little girl in Bella's arms. She didn't look older than a few weeks but she was staring directly into the camera and smiling. The little girl had bronze hair the fell past her shoulders. She had chocolate brown eyes. I knew who she looked like but I just couldn't believe it. Next, to Bella was a Native American boy who didn't look much older than seventeen. He was staring at the little girl with the air of a protective big brother.

The next was the Cullens, the little girl, and the boy, along with quite a few others. By the degree of beauty of their features, I'd say most of them were vampires. Then there was a small group of Native American boys sitting in the front row.

There was one of just the little girl and the group of Native American boys. And one with just her and her "big brother."

I flipped through the pages. The pictures all varied except the little girl was in all of them. She went from being a few weeks old to seventeen or eighteen. I didn't understand. Why was this the only album over all those years? Was it even possible for the girl to be who I thought she was? And how come though the girl aged, the Native American boy, who always seemed to be there stayed seventeen?

I heard a loud growl out of nowhere and whipped my head around. Edward was standing there. For the first time in the month I'd been there, I feared the look on his face.

"What they hell do you think you're doing?" He growled.

"I found this on the top shelf. I got curious." I tried to make my voice sound even.

He was in front of me, in less the a second. He ripped the album from my hands and threw it across the room. Then he grabbed me by the shoulders and slammed me into the wall.

"What's in there is none of your business!" he said. I was shaking violently. "That is mine. You have no business looking at my things."

He threw me back onto the floor and started kicking me. I cried out in pain. He'd never done this before. He always had a reason behind his anger but I didn't know what I did to make him angry. I tried to ask him what I had done but he just kept kicking me and punching me. I felt skin tearing and a couple bone breaking. Pain shot through my whole body.

It stopped suddenly. It was like he only just realized what he was doing. He stared down at me with pain and regret in his eyes. He was shaking his head. He turned on his heal and left the room.

I still didn't know what I did that was so wrong. Why had seeing me with the album set him off? I laid there sobbing as the pain continued to shoot through my body.

**EDWARD**

I ran down the hallway. What had I done? I just saw her with the album and I lost it. I hadn't even touched it since before Nessie was murdered. Just seeing it again made something snap. I didn't mean to hurt her like that. It was beyond any apology I could throw at her.

As I headed to Alice and Jasper's room, I found Katya.

"Katya?"

"Yes, Master." she replied with a bow.

"Run down to Dr. Garfunkel and tell him to go to my room. Kari's not doing well." I ordered.

"Yes, sir." she replied and ran down the stairs.

If I wasn't so upset when I approached the door, I would've realized I couldn't hear anyone's thoughts even though, Jasper answered when I knocked. He seemed a little flustered.

"Edward, what's up?" he asked looking anywhere but at my face.

"Where's Alice?" I asked.

"Down in the garden, I think." he answered.

"Thanks." I said and took off back downstairs.

I used my vampire speed to get to the garden. She was sitting on one of the benches writing in her diary.

"Alice," I said. "I think I went too far."

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"When we got back, I went up to check on Kari. She was cleaning out the closet and she had the album and I snapped. It's bad." I could hear the cracking in my own voice.

"Slow down." Alice said. "What album?"

_The _album, Alice." I said. What album did she think I meant? "I saw her with it and I just lost it. I sent Katya to get Garfunkel. I don't know how bad it is."

"Okay. Let's go." she said.

Her thoughts were going a mile a minute. I could pick out sympathy and understanding laced with disappointment and anger. It was ok because I was disappointed and angry with myself.

**ALICE**

I heard the words that Edward said. He had hurt Kari and he didn't know how bad. I wanted to flay him alive but at the same time I wanted to tell him that it was okay. Kari had accidentally found his and Bella's album with the all of our pictures of Nessie. She didn't even know what it was.She probably just let curiousity get the better of her. She suffered for it.

I couldn't be angry with Edward for being upset about it. I could; however blame him for hurting her.

I laid my diary on the bench. Getting up to Kari was the only important thing right now.

"Okay. Let's go." I said getting up.

We used our vampire speed to make it back up to the room. Dr. Garfunkel was waiting outside for us. Edward unlocked the door and we went in. Kari was lying on the floor near the closet. She was a bloody mess. Her body was shaking with sobs. I knelt next to her.

"Kari?" I didn't know what to say.

"I don't even know what I did." she sobbed.

"I know." I stroked her hair. "I'm sorry."

"I need to take her downstairs where my equipment is." Dr. Garfunkel appeared next to me.

"I'll carry her." Edward said and made to scoop her up but I stopped him.

"I'll do it." I said quickly. "She deserves an explanation when we get back. So you better be ready to give it. Because if you aren't, I will."

"Fine." he said and the was an edge to his voice.

I picked Kari up and carried her out the door.

**EDWARD**

I watched as Alicce carried Kari out of the room. I still couldn't believe what I had done. I hadn't been that angry since the night... Well, you know what I mean. Alice was right though.

Kari did deserve an explanation for her current pain. It was only right that I be the one to give it. I needed to finally deal with it before I could talk to her about it though. I walked over to the album that I had thrown across the room.

I sat on the bed and opened it. I felt a stab in my chest as I looked at the first picture. Being so consumed with grief from Nessie's death, I had forgotten we'd lost Jacob that day too. He and the pack died trying to keep the Volturi from getting their hands on Nessie.

I remembered that horrible night finidng their bodies in a bloody mess among the trees in La Push. I remembered the look on Bella's face when she found Jacob's body. She fell to her knees letting out dry sobs. That was one of those moments when I regretted changing her. If she ever needed to cry over anyone's death, it was Jaocb's.

My eyes moved from the family photo to the one of the witnesses. They were truly good friends to us. They came to our aid when we needed them to help save our daughter. Then they came again when we needed to avenge her. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I picked out the ones that died in the war. Barely half of them survived. It truly was the worst five years of my existence.

I flipped through the pages remembering some happier times. I looked at the picture of Nessie blowing out her candle on her first birthday. Granted,she looked like she was almost three. I kept pulling up memories from the pictures to keep thoughts of that night away.

Lost in good memories of those eight years, I flipped through the whole album. When I was finished, I sat there still trying to push those horrible thoughts away. I couldn't do it anymore.

The thoughts just came. I remembered everyhting from figting with Bella about letting Nessie go that night, to finding the pack, dead, to finding the note on Jacob's body, telling us where to find them. I remembered the torture she went through in the hours before we got there and the sounds of her screams as she burned.

I felt the undeniable anger coursing through my body. For the first time in years, it wasn't anger at the Volturi for what they did. It was anger at myself. Maybe Bella was right to blame me for what happened. I mean I gave Nessie permission to go even though Bella had a bad feeling.

I didn't want to considered that possibility. Instead of thinking anymore, I just let the anger take over. I knocked the C.D.'s off the dresser and ripped the books off the shelves. Anything that wasn't bolted to the wall ended up on the floor. The room was a disaster area after I got past my anger.

I stood there, letting sadness replace my anger. I turned as I heard the door open. Bella was standing there. She looked shocked and appalled.

"Wow, your human must really do it for you." she said in a condescending way. "Cuz you obviously don't keep her around for her ability to keep things cleaned."

I was definately not in the mood for her shit. So I tunred on my mopst demeaning sneer and said,

"Look, Bella, I'm really not having a good day. I don't feel like fighting so why don't you just shut your mouth, go screw your little boy toy, and leave me the hell alone!"

I could see the hurt in her eyes but I was way beyond caring today. She just stared at me for a minute. It looked like she was trying to think of something truly venomous to say back to me. Finally, she said,

"Whatever, Edward. I just came to say that Jasper and I are going into town to see if there's anything more appetizing than what we have here. I want the human to have this mess cleaned up before I get back."

"Fine." I replied not really paying attention.

She turned and walked out slamming the door.

**BELLA**

"I wonder want made him so mad." I said as I met Jasper in the hall.

"Well, whatever it was, I want to tear his head off for talking to you like that." Jasper replied.

"I know but he'll get what's coming to him." Bella replied. "And I'll get that little human of his too."

We walked down the stairs and out the back through the garden. As we walked by the bench, a book caught my eye. It looked oddly familiar so I went to pick it up. It was Alice's diary.

I could do some damage with that. She was close enough to Edward and the human. I could get back at all of them.

"What's that?" Jasper asked.

"Alice's diary." I said.

"Wow, she usually keeps it under lock and key." Jasper replied.

"I know but now that we have it, do you have any idea what we could do?" I asked.

"That's what I love about you." he said giving me a quick kiss. "You're so coniving."

"I know." I replied as we headed to my car.

**EDWARD**

I stood there staring after her. Looking back, if I had paid more attention, I would've figured things out on my own. T the time though, Bella's affair didn't seem important. The only thing that was was being sure that Kari was alright.

I sank to floor as I watched the door waiting for Alice to come back. She did about fifteen minutes later. When she walked in there was shock with a small hint of fear in his eyes.

_"What the hell happened in here?" _she thought as she stared at the mess.

"I dealt with my issues." I answered before she could verbalize the question.

"I see." Alice said coming to sit next to me on the floor. "And do you feel better?"

"A little. I think I'll feel even better once I talk about it." I answered.

Alice just nodded.

"So how is she?" I asked.

"She's okay. Her leg and arm are broken. And she has a few cuts and bruises. No serious damage. Dr. Garfunkel is just putting her casts on her and then she be back." she answered.

"Good. I'm so sorry, Alice. I just lost it."

"Edward, everybody makes mistakes. Besides, with all the rage you have inside, I'm surprised you didn't lose it like this long ago."

Since we were on the subject of my rage, I decided to ask the question that was bothering me.

"Do you think Bella's right?"

"About what?"

"Do you think that it's my fault?"

"Edward, why would you even think that?"

"I let her go that night. If she was at home we could've protected her and the pack."

"You know for a fact that being the daughter of Isabella Marie Swan Cullen that if she wanted to go, she was going to go. There would've been no stopping her." she answered then I caught her thought, _"If it's anyone's fault it's mine." _

"What makes you think that?" I asked.

"Because I should have seen it coming." she answered.

"How? You couldn't see Nessie or the pack. There was no way around that."

"But I should've seen the Volturi coming."

"No. Known of us had any reason to believe they'd be coming back. You couldn't have known to be looking for them."

Alice opened her mouth to say something else but I heard the firghtened and catious thoughts of Katya at the door.

"Come in." I said before she could knock.

"Mistress Alice, Master Edward," she stuttered with a bow. "Dr. Garfunkel says that Kari is ready to be brought back up."

"Thank you Katya." Alice said. "I'll go get her."

Katya bowed again and left. Alice followed behind her.

Not wanting Kari to see her hard work messed up, I used my vampire speed to put things back the way she had them. When I finished, I placed the album on the desk, wanting to look at it later. Alice brought Kari back up.

"Where do you want her?" she asked.

"On the bed." I answered.

I walked over to Kari, who was awake, she looked slight afraid but mostly just sad.

"I'm sorry." she said to me. "I shouldn't have looked at it."

"Hush." I told her. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm sorry, I overreacted. Now go to sleep and we'll talk about it later."

She nodded and closed her eyes. Alice smiled at me and exited the room. I stroked Kari's hair until I was sure she was asleep. I watched her for awhile, as she slept. She was so beautiful even with the cuts and bruises. After awhile, I went over to the album to flip through it some more.

**A/N: Well, was it worth waiting for?**


	12. Nessie

**A/N: Okay. I want to apologize in advance for this chapter. It was a hard one because I had to do an overview of Bella and Edward relationship for the Kari. I know it will be long and tedious. I apologize in advance. Please forgive me. Once again, I apologize for the length and repetativeness. **

**KARI**

I woke in Edward's bed. I looked around slightly frightened. I had no idea where he was or if he was still angry. I spotted him at his desk. He was leaning over, staring intently at something. I shifted myself slowly and quietly till I could see the corner of the album. I smiled. Maybe, he would be okay.

I was still curious about who the girl was. I didn't want to ask him outright. What if he got angry again? The curiousity, however, got the better of me. The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"Who is she?"

My voice came out a little more fearful than I intended. I was afraid of what he'd do if he didn't want to answer the question. I didn't need another broken limb. I wouldn't be able to hold my own as it was.

He turned to look at me. For the first time, in the month I'd been there, there was no anger in his eyes, only an intense sadness. I watched him as he pulled the book of the desk and walked to the bed. He sat on the edge of it. I had a feeling I was about to get what I've been searching for the whole month. I did the best I could, in my condition, to push myself up against the wall.Without say a word, Edward stack some pillows behind me and helped me to get comfortable.

Once we were both in a good position, he took a deep breath. I knew he didn't need it but it helped him to relax a bit more.I knew this was going to be a long painful story for him. For some reason, I was ready to comfort him if it got to be too much.

"Her name's Renesmee Carlie Cullen and she was my daughter." he finally said.

"And Bella's her mother." I said, my earlier thoughts confirmed. Edward nodded. "How is that possible?"

"It's too complicated to explain. However, only male vampires can get female humans pregnant." he answered.

I nodded. I did understand enough to know how that would work.

"The story I'm about to tell you is long and there are a lot of little stories that go along with it. Some parts aren't very pleasant." he explained. I nodded. "When I met Bella, she was only a human. I nearly killed her the first time I smelled her because her scent was the most amazing thing I've ever smelled in my life. I resisted the urge and somehow we fell in love. She wanted to become a vampire but I didn't want to let her. We went back and forth about it for months. Eventually, Bella decided to put it to a family vote. It came out with five votes in favor of making Bella one of us. I didn't have a choice."

"Why didn't you want her to do it?" I asked.

"Because I wouldn't wish this life on anyone." he answered. "I know it seems great but you have to live enternity with things you wish you could forget. I wanted her to stay human as long as possible."

I nodded in response and he continued,

"The original plan was for Carlisle to do it after she graduated. That was until I found out that she wanted me to be the one to do it. I told her I would so long as she married me first. She was reluctant at first but she eventually said yes with a condition of her own. We were never able to have a sexual relationship."

"Why not?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"Because she was a human and I was a vampire. She was so fragile if I made a wrong move, I could've killed her." he answered. "Yes, I'm a little less careful with the girls around here but I still have to hold back or we'd never be able to keep slaves. Anyway, she wanted to have an actual honeymoon. I promised we'd try. When ended up sleeping together twice. I didn't want to do it again after the first time. She woke up the next morning covered in bruises and there was a pillow that I bit instead of her. She is very persuasive, however, and she got me to do it the second time. It wasn't as bad but I still didn't like it."

I noticed it was getting harder for him to continue as he got further into the story. I could tell by the shaking of his voice. I wanted to reach out and touch him but I wasn't sure how he'd react. I kept my hand tucked safely under the blanket.

"Shortly after the second time, Bella got sick. At first, she just thought it was just some bad chicken that she ate. That was until she realized she had missed her period. When it clicked that she was pregnant, I called Carlisle because I didn't even know that it was possible. We had planned to get rid of it because we didn't know what it would do to Bella. I didn't realize until we got off the plane and met the family, that Bella and Rosalie had made plans of the own."

Bella did seem like the type to take matters into her own hands.

"It seemed odd to me that she went to Rosalie, they were never very close." he continued. "I thought she would've called Alice first. But, no, when Bella got off the plane, she ran straight to Rosalie's waiting embrace. After that, the two became inseperable, Rose wouldn't even let myself or Carlisle in a room alone with her. It was terrible. Then there was Bella's best friend, Jacob."

He swallowed hard ad he opened the photo album and pointed to the Native American boy in the first picture.

"He was a werewolf." Edward continued. "There was a rather large pack of them at the time."

Next he pointed to the one picture with the rest of the Native American boys and Renesmee. I noted how he used the past tense when speaking of them.

"The werewolves were our enemies, at least, they were until Bella came along. But that's a different story. Years ago, we made a treaty so that we could live in peace. As long as we didn't bite humans or go on their land then they would leave us alone and not expose us. Well, the whole pack knew that Bella wanted to be turned. They knew that I would do it eventually. So when Jacob found out we were back but Bella was sick, he came to see if we broke the treaty. After finding out that Bella was pregnant and trying to convince her to give it up, he went back to the pack to tell them. Their leader, Sam, wanted to attack immediately. He said the should kill Bella to kill the thing inside of her and anyone who got in their way. Jacob refused, in fact, he broke away from the pack, along with two others, and came to warn us. Then he and his two friends, Leah and Seth, kept a look out for an attack from the others."

I nodded. This story was more complex than I though. I was surprised that I was keeping up so well.

"The others, however, decided to wait until after the baby was born. To see if it was dangerous. That way they wouldn't have to kill an inoccent human. Well, the pregnancy only lasted a month with the way the fetus was developing. It was the worst month of my life. The fetus would reject every bit of human food we tried to give. Bella was quickly dying of malnutrition. It wasn't until I caught one of Jacob's thoughts that it got better. He thought of the possiblity that being half vampire, the fetus craved blood. We gave Bella blood to drink and that helped. She was able to keep human food down better as long as she kept drinking the blood."

"I don't understand something." I cut in.

"What?" he asked without the tiniest bit of impatience.

"If the baby was your daughter, why do you keep talking about her like she is an insignificant thing?" I said.

He took another deep breath he didn't need. I could see more pain flash across his face. I felt bad for bringing it up.

"Because that's how I felt about her while Bella was pregnant with her. All I saw was this thing that was hurting the love of my life. And I hated it. I wanted nothing more than to be rid of it. That was until, I heard her thoughts. The most dominant was the love she had for her mother. Now, at the time, I could never hate anything that hated Bella. That was how much I loved her. Hearing my child think that she loved her mother, proved to me what Bella had been trying to tell me all along, everything was going to be alright. The next day, Renesmee was born. Bella died after the delivery but I was able to get enough venom in her to save her."

I nodded as he went on.

"Now, werewolves do this thing, it's called imprinting. The easiest way to explain is that they literally find their soul mates. Well, Jacob imprinted on Renesmee. Now, I know that sounds crazy because of the age difference but werewolves can choose when they get older. Jacob coul've stayed seventeen for the rest of his life. And Renesmee, we found out later, be a fully grown adult by the time she was seven. That's really not all that important, though.Back to the point, with the imprinting, Jacob's pack had no choice but to not hurt Nessie. It would've destroyed Jacob, who was like their borther. Jacob spent the first eight years of Nessie's, the nickname Jacob gave her, life being like a best friend and big brother. The soul mate feelings didn't start to erupt until shortly before things started falling apart. But I'm getting ahead. Are you okay? Anything you don't understand?" he asked.

"I'm keeping up pretty good." I answered.

My head was spinning with questions but I wanted him to finish before he found that he couldn't. I waited a month to unmask the mystery that is Edward Cullen, I wasn't about to slow down the process.

"Okay, then, we thought things would be fine after Bella's transformation worked out. Well, with the exception of being unsure how fast Nessie was growing or when she would stop. That was until, a family friend, Irina, who had a grudge against the werewolves we were now on good terms with us, saw Nessie and reported her to the Volturi for being an Immortal Child."

He paused and saw the confusion pass across my face.

"An Immortal Child is a child who was turned into a vampire. The Volturi was like our government, for lack of a better phrase. They deemed immortal children to be unsafe and an exposure risk. They declared that anyone who was caught with one would be executed, along with the child and any witnesses. Irina went to them and told them we had made an immortal child. Alice saw it all coming. She left to see if she could find another child like Nessie. The Volturi were the type of people who punished first and asked questions later. We had to find some way to make them listen to our story,"

He pointed to the picture in the album with all the vampires.

"We gathered all the friends we had to bear witness for us. Some we didn't even know ended up coming, too. We had a decent bunch of witnesses with us. The Volturi came and listened to us plead our case. The had an agenda against my family, though, and kept trying to find reasons to punish us. When Alice came back with the other boy like Nessie, there was nothing else to be said. They left and we thought we were off the hook."

"There's more." I asked slightly astonished.

Edward nodded sadly.

"And the worst has yet to come." he said. "Eight years went by and we didn't hear a thing from the Volturi. Then Jacob's father, Billy, died. Due to the treaty, Nessie was the only one of us allowed to attend the funeral. The pack made her an exception to the treaty so that she could go see Jacob. Bella and I fought about letting her go that. Bella had a bad feeling about it but I knew she'd be safe with Jacob. I also knew that if we tried to tell her no then she'd just find a way to go. We told her she had to be back by eleven."

I could tell he was getting to the worst part. He had to keep stopping to get his composure back. He paused and closed his eyes for a long time. When he opened them again, I saw the torture written all over his face. Once again, I fought the urge to comfort him.

"Eleven-thirty came and she didn't come home or call. That wasn't like Nessie at all. We called her but she didn't answer. So we called Jacobe but he didn't answer either. FInally, we called Sam's wife, Emily. She said that the pack and Nessie went of into the woods after the funeral. Jacob needed alone time with his family. When I told Emily that Nessie was past curfew and hadn't called, Emily freaked. Everyone knew how responsible Nessie was. She always made sure we knew where she was. Emily got the elders together and got a search party started. She also got my family permission to go on there land and help search."

He stopped again trying to pull it together.

"We split into groups of two." he continued his voice shaking. "The mere thought of the smell and sight of the clearing we found them in still turns my stomach. There bodies were a mangeled bloody mess. We could still recognize all of them, though. It broke my heart to see Bella's face when she found Jacob's body. She dropped to her knees and tried to force out the tears she could no longer produce. We informed the others of what we found. I had a good idea who did it. In fact, I was on my cell phone booking tickeyts for the next flight to Italy when Bella found their note in Jacob's shirt."

He reached into the back pocket of the the album and pulled out a blood stained piece of paper. He handed it to me. I unfolded it with shaking hands.

_Dear Cullens, _

_We need to talk. We have taken the half blood to insure that you will come alone and without hostility. You will get on the next flight to Italy and meet Jane in Volterra. She'll then bring you to where we have the half blood. If you don't come, she will die. I'm sure you don't want that._

It wasn't signed but they knew it didn't need to be. Even I knew who they were. I handed the letter back to Edward.

"What did you do?" I asked my voice shaking.

"We got on the next plane to Italy. When we got into Volterra, Jane was waiting for us, with sixteen guards, to for each of us. We were taken to a forest. We walked for what seemed like ages before I started hearing the frightened thoughts of my daughter. When we stepped into a clearing, I saw her tied to a tree. Her dressed was ripped and she was covered in scars from bites. Jane commented on how good the blood tasted. I strugled to free myself from the guards but they were too strong, even for me. Then I heard the thoughts of the others. They did some horrible things to her before we got there. I wanted to kill them all. How dare they do those things to my baby?!"

"But you were helpless?" I whispered.

"They thought of everything that day. Not even Emmett, who was the strongest of all of us could get free of his guards." Edward said. "They told us that they had evidence that she was dangerous, and that they were going to get rid of all the half bloods. The only reason we were there was because they thought it was right that we be able to witness her execution. They burned her alive without even showing us there evidence. I struggled against the men holding me as I tried to block out my baby girl's screams."

He stopped and clenched his fists. He was trying to fight with the anger. I could tell. I prayed he'd win the battle. At the same time I wanted to wrap my arms around him again. He looked so unEdward like and vulnerable that this time I couldn't resist. I sat forward and wrapped my arms around him. He sat there, frozen, for a moment as if stunned by my action.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. "No parent should out live their child."

I tried to keep my voice from cracking but it didn't work. I couldn't help but think of the five kids who were like my children for three months. After a minute I felt him wrap her arms gently around me too. Then he pushed me back.

"Why?"

"Why what?" I asked.

"Why are you comforting me? After everything that I've done to you. You should be appalled by me. Not sympathetic." he said.

"Anyone can make mistakes, Edward. In fact, everyone does. But it takes a special person to be able to forgive, even when the offenses seem unforgivable." I told him.

"But how could what I've done possibly be forgivable? I've destroyed your family, I hurt you every other day for things that you didn't do, and I took your inoccence away from you. How can you forgive me?"

"Because you are trying to change. The only human blood you've had in a month has been mine and I gaive it willingly. You feel regret and a need to apologize after you hurt me. And Alice told me you haven't touched any of the girls, like that, in a week. You are trying to be the good man you were once and it's a tough journey. You're bound to make mistakes but they are all forgiveable because you are trying to be a better person."

"Who taught you to be so understanding?" Edward asked. I could tell by the look on his face that he still didn't believe what I was telling him.

I thought about the answer to that question. My mom's face appeared in my head. I choked back a sob and prayed the tears weren't apparent in my eyes. I didn't want to show him a weakness. I still didn't have the complete measure of him.

"My mom, I guess." I replied.

I felt one tear threatening to fall and reached up to wipe it away. He had a hold of my wrist before it even touched my face. My breath hitched and my heart started pounding. I didn't know what he was about to do. He didn't look like he usually did when he was angry. Then again, Edward wasn't very predictable.

As I felt a shiver run down my spine, he simply pulled me into an embrace. I started sobbing into his chest. I cried for him, for myself, for my mother, and for my family. He just held me tight making shushing noises while stroking my hair and rubbing my back.

**A/N: What do you think of this chapter? Do you want to see it from Edward side? I have been playing around with the idea of doing an aside chapter of an in depth of what happened to Nessie that day. Is that something you guys would want to see? I hope this one turned out good because it was hard not to do too much detail but have it be understandable at the same time. **


	13. Confessions and Complications

**A/N: This is going to start out as a repeat of chapter 12. Don't worry I'm going to skip over the story, quickly. I hope things are flowing okay because things are about to get a little wonky. I hope it doesn't get too stupid. I'm ruining my title motif on this one. I was trying to keep all of them at one word. It's a little harder than I thought. **

**EDWARD**

I wasn't sure how long I sat there lost in the good memories of better times. I vaguely noticed the change in Kari's breathing indicating that she was awake. I barely registered the sound of her shifting. It wasn't until she spoke that I was brought fully back to reality.

"Who is she?" Kari asked.

I knew the question was coming but I still was unsure if I wanted to answer. I did want Kari to understand what made me so upset but at the same time, I didn't want her to hate me more than she already did. I knew once she found out about my past, she'd think me a hypocite and hate me for tearing her family from her the way the Volturi tore my daughter away from me.

I bought myself some time by grabbing the album off the desk and moving to sit on the edge of the bed. I knew she had been waiting to hear everything. Alice kept me informed on what they talked about. She began trying to sit up. I, wordlessly, stacked some pillows behind her and helped to get her comfortable.

Once she was, I took a unnessecary deep breath, trying to prepare myself for this.

"Her name's Renesmee Carlie Cullen and she was my daughter." I said. Comprhension and confusion crossed her face.

"And Bella's her mother." she said. I nodded. "How is that possible?"

"It's too complicated to explain. However, only male vampires can get female humans pregnant." I answered hoping that explanation was enough for her.

She nodded.

I explained to her how complex the story would be. She nodded to me to go ahead. I told her everything from when I first saw Bella to falling in love with her. I told her about our honeymoon and Bella's pregnancy. About how I hated Nessie, at first, because of what she was doing to Bella. I told her about Jacob and imprinting on Nessie. I explained the Volturi and how they thought Nessie was an illegal Immortal Child. I talked about the witnesses who came to our aid. I stopped every now and then to make sure she was keeping up.

The more I talked the harder it got. I told her how it was the half blood boy, Alice found, that convinced the Volturi to leave. She was a bit shocked to find out they came back eight years later. I told her everything that happened that day from Bella and my fighting about Nessie going to Billy's funeral to Nessie's being burned alive in the forest.

When I got to the part about being helpless listening to Nessie's screams of agony, I had to stop to control my anger or I would've pulled the room apart again. After a minute of trying to regain composure, I felt Kari's warm arms around my neck. I sat there, frozen, quite surprised by her actions

I thought that she would hate me or refuse to speak to me. Nowhere in my mind, did I ever see her comforting me over this. I was expecting so many things.

"I'm sorry." she whispered. "No parent should out live their child."

I heard her voice crack as I finally responded to her hug. She was no doubt thinking about the five siblings whom she had no choice but to considered children for the last three months of their lives. I still couldn't believe, even with her thoughts on them, that she would still be holding and whispering comforting things.

Frustrated by her attitude and unable to read her thoughts, I pushed her back after a minute to ask,

"Why?"

"Why what?" she responded.

"Why are you comforting me? After everything that I've done to you. You should be appalled by me. Not sympathetic." I explained. It was so strange how much like Bella she was but she was different at the same time. Though, I wasn't quite sure how.

"Anyone can make mistakes, Edward. In fact, everyone does. But it takes a special person to be able to forgive, even when the offenses seem unforgivable." she told me.

The words made sense but I had done the most terrible things to her. How cousl she so easily forgive me for them? I couldn't even forgive myself. I expressed the things that I was thinking,

"But how could what I've done possibly be forgivable? I've destroyed your family, I hurt you every other day for things that you didn't do, and I took your inoccence away from you. How can you forgive me?"

"Because you are trying to change. The only human blood you've had in a month has been mine and I gaive it willingly. You feel regret and a need to apologize after you hurt me. And Alice told me you haven't touched any of the girls, like that, in a week. You are trying to be the good man you were once and it's a tough journey. You're bound to make mistakes but they are all forgiveable because you are trying to be a better person."

Once again the words made sense but I still couldn't make myself believe them. She was so understanding, even more so than Bella. My guess was that she'd seen a lot in her time. Perhaps, she'd even done a lot. I wondered how she learned to be they way she was.

"Who taught you to be so understanding?" I asked unable to help myself.

She thought for a moment. I saw tears pooling in her eyes. It looked like she was trying to force them back. I didn't want that to happen. I really didn't want to see her cry over this. What was worse. She was afraid to do it in front of me. I didn't want that either. I didn't want her to be afraid to express her emotions. She was much too special to me now.

"My mom, I guess." she replied.

I saw one tear threatening to fall and she reached up to wipe it away. I grabbed her wrist before she could even touched her face. I felt a pang of guilt as her breath hitch and her heart sped up.I didn't want her to be afraid of me. I wanted her to know I'd protect her. I wanted her to feel safe with me.

I felt her tremble slightly. I gently pulled her to my chest and held her. She broke down in my arms. I held her gently stroking her hair with one hand and rubbing her back with the other. I made shushing noises in a much more comforting manner than I did the day we met.

I wasn't sure how long we sat like that but she calmed after awhile. When she did, she pulled away and wiped her face with her good hand.

"I'm sorry." she said. "Here you are trying to tell your sad story and I'm the one who falls apart."

"Don't be sorry." I said. "You have every right to fall apart. You lost the same thing I did. Hell, if I were you, I would even be listening to my hypocritical ass anymore."

She gave me a sad smile and shook her head.

"So what's the rest of the story?" she asked somberly. "If you don't mind."

"Of course," I replied. I had to take another deep breath. "When Nessie's screams finally stopped, something in me broke. I ripped myself from the grasp of my guards and went after Aro, the leader of the Volturi. It took me a few minutes, to realize that my family had broke free too. We fought to avenge our little girl. Unfortunately, between the guards and the Volturi, we were outnumbered. They won but let us live. We went back to Forks, where we lived at the time, regained our strength, and started making war plans. We called our friends and anyone who wanted to see the downfall of the Volturi. Everyone of our witnesses, plus a bunch more, came again. A month later, we attacked Volterra. The war lasted five grisly years. We lost alomost half of our orginal army. Both sides would created new vampires as we needed them. Slowly, we took out every one of the Volturi. Unfortunately, we had to resort to things that we worked our entire vampire lives not doing. Drinking human blood and other terrible things. After we won, we were too different to go back so we embraced the dark side of our existence. And you know the results."

She nodded sadly. We were silent for a few moments. She stared down at her hands fidgeting. I was once again frustrated by the fact that I didn't know what she was thinking.

"Why me?" she said after a long moment.

"What do you mean why you?" I asked. There was a lot of thing that why me could stand for.

"I mean why did you bring me here? What did I have that the other girls that day didn't? Why has your attitude toward me changed so drastically in this one month?" she asked.

I nodded. I wasn't sure quite how to answer but I did owe her one. That was the least I could do for her.

"What first caught my eye that day was your beauty." I began and cupped her face in my hand for a minute. She looked amazed like nobody had ever called her beautiful before. "I was also intrigued by you being the second person in almost a century whose mind I couldn't read. The deciding factor, of course, was the fact that you stood up to me in front of my family. I couldn't have that, you see. If I let you get away with it, they might have thought, I was getting weak. But I guess you were meant to make me weak. Because that first night, after I hurt you like that, all I felt was regret. It killed me to see you like that. I still don't have a clue what power you have over me but it's hard to hurt you and not feel sorry about it later. Something about you, makes me want to be the man that I was before."

We sat in a awkward silence for a few moments. I heard Alice's frantic thoughts just before she entered the room and slammed the door. She looked upset, worried, and a little angry. I got bits of her thoughts but they didn't make sense.

"Alice, what's wrong?" I asked.

"I can't find my diary." she said.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

She couldn't have lost it. There was too much in it. We could both get in trouble and I didn't even want to think what could happen to Kari as a result of what was found in it.

"Exactly that." Alice replied. "I went to my room to write another entry and it wasn't there."

"But weren't you writing in it, in the garden last night?" I asked.

I thought I remembered seeing her with it. Her eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped.

"I think in the haste to get to Kari, I left it there." Alice replied.

"Damn it, Alice!" I yelled. I couldn't help but be angry. "What if Bella found it? Or worse Carlisle or Esme? We could get thrown out of the family! And who knows what they would do if they found out the things you wrote about Kari!"

"I'm sorry, Edward." she pleaded. "I wasn't thinking about it. I just thought about getting Kari to Garfunkel. I'm so sorry."

I wanted to rip Alice's head off myself but I felt a warm hand on my arm and turned to see Kari staring at me with fear and sadness in her eyes. My anger dissipated.

"This is no time to be angry." Kari said as evenly as possible. "We need to figure who has it and if they've read it, yet."

"And how do we do that?" Alice asked.

"Have Edward listen to everyone's thoughts. He's sure to pick up something. Then he could find out where it was and we could take it back." Kari explained.

"What if we can't?" I asked.

"We'll deal with it then." Kari stated.

The tears of fear started to run down her cheeks, I took my fingers and wiped them away.

"I won't let anyone hurt you." I whispered and pulled her to me.

**A/N: I know this one kind of sucked. I'm sorry. I'm running on three hours of sleep. Plus, I'm still working out the finer points on some of this. I hope it wasn't too rushed. Please, let me know what you think.**


	14. Betrayal

**A/N: So this next chapter is killing me to write. It is so unlike Bella and Jasper but they have to be this way or my plot won't work. I'm sorry for those Bella and Jasper fans out there who read this. Please don't hate me. I love them as much as you guys do. I hope you guys like it nonetheless. **

**KARI**

In the next few weeks, Edward listened to everyone's thoughts, every chance he got. He even tuned himself into the other girls, just in case. The big problem was Bella's thoughts. Edward couldn't hear them at all. He had to sneak around and listen to the conversations she had with other people. She also complicated things with Jasper. Whenever they were together, she'd use her shield to protect his thoughts.

We had a feeling that she did have it. We just couldn't prove it. Since we weren't getting any answers from their minds, Alice went through hers and Jasper's room trying to find it. Edward and I did the same thing with his and Bella's. We couldn't find a thing. Bella was a lot smarter than I gave her credit for.

After three weeks of nothing, I suggested that we just let the cards fall. Edward wouldn't hear of it. He continued to try to find a way out of the problem. He was no longer angry with Alice. I had a feelings he remembered my speech about mistakes and forgiveness,

In other news, I got my casts off at the end of that month. Edward had refused to drink from me while I was in that condition. It wouldn't have matter but he was trying to make amends for hurting me. He did not, however, stray from the animal diet. He also spent the rest of the month finding other ways to deal with his lack of sex and didn't touch any of the girls.

The cage was removed from the room and replaced with a cot. Edward figured safety wasn't an issue. I was never without Edward or Alice in the room. Edward thought it best that one of them be with me the whole time because he worried Bella would try to hurt me. I couldn't figure out why but she still hated me, even though, Edward hadn't done anything with me in two months. I think I reminded her of things she wanted to forget. In a way I felt sorry for her. I know it's crazy considering everything that Edward told me about how she is now. I think it's because she had so much ripped from her and she felt she couldn't go back.

The rules slowly disappeared too. I was allowed to wonder the room as I pleased and read or listen to anything I wanted. He made sure I got three meals a day and brought me extra snacks when I asked. Since, Bella no longer wanted to play dress up with Alice, I was her replacement. I didn't mind too much. I actually liked how close I was becoming with Alice. Edward even gave her permission to buy me a decent wardrobe. I was estatic.

Things were going swimmingly. Bella had yet to take action with the diary, so we figured she was going to let it go. Then about a week into my third month of captivity, if you could call it that, things started to fall apart.

Alice and Edward decided to go to Russia for a week, to visit their friend Dimitri. When Edward told me, I tried very hard not to think about what they were going to do while they were there. Instead, I let my fear of being in the house without them to protect send panic through me.

"What about Bella?" I asked. I knew he could hear the panic in my voice.

"She knows better than to try anything." he said.

"But she's never been one to do what she's told." I denoted. I was trying hard not to be too afraid. I didn't want him not to go.

"Would you felt better, if I had you put back in the cage for a week?" he suggested.

That was exactly what I'd feel most comfortable with. It was small and cramped. Plus, I'd feel like I was a prisoner again but, at least, Bella wouldn't be able to hurt me. I was about to say yes but then I realized I was doing what I promised myself I wouldn't. I worked hard that first month to show Edward that I wasn't scared of him. Granted, I was but if he didn't see, he'd never know. But I was going to run and hide from Bella. No, I would force myself to show her that I was not afraid of her.

"No." I told Edward. "If I want her to leave me alone, I have to show her that I'm not afraid of her."

"Okay," Edward said. "But if she does hurt you, I want to know as soon as I get back and I'll take care of it."

I nodded. He kissed my forehead and picked up his bag. I watched him walk out the door wondering what we were. I knew we were no longer master/servant but were we just friends or something more. I wished we were so much more. I only hoped he wanted the same thing. Only time would tell.

Things were going just fine until three days before Alice and Edward were supposed to return. I was lying on my cot reading _A Tale of Two Cities_ when I heard a giggle outside. I recognized it as Bella's. I knew that she didn't like to see me doing things above my sation, so I closed the book and shoved it under my pillow. Then I flipped myself off the bed and shrank back into a corner. I hoped, by making myself nearly invisible, she'd just completely ignore me.

When the door opened, a pair of bare feet stepped through. They weren't Bella's. I looked up the rest of the body. It was Japser's. He had his arms around her, holding her up, and she had her legs wrapped around his waist. They were kissing furiously. I had to but my hand over my mouth to top my shocked gasp. Jasper carried Bella to the bed and laid her down. He then straddled her and began kissing her everywhere.

I scoped for an easy accessed, opened door. I didn't want to watch this. The bathroom was right accross from me and the door wide open. I crawled as quietly as possible to it and sat indian style on the tiled floor.

I couldn't wrap my mind around what was going on. Alice and Edward both knew that it was possible their spouses were having an affair but neither thought it would be with each other. I understood why Bella was doing it to Edward. That just leveled out the playing field. Then there was the whole punishment factor. Edward told me that Bella blamed him for that night. That's why their relationship was falling apart.

What I couldn't figure out was, why Jasper? He was her sister's husband and Bella was his brother's wife. What had Alice done to deserve that? Alice was one of the best people I knew. She didn't deserve to be devasted like she was bound to become.

I sat in the bathroom, covering my ears. I didn't want to hear anything that was going on in the other room. Vampires, however, were not known for quiet sex. I heard everything, even with my fingers crammed in my ears. Once they finally finished, I listened for the to get their breathing back to normal. I prayed they'd just get dressed and leave.

I didn't get what I wanted. I heard Jasper whisper something to Bella. Bella let out a small laugh and whispered back. I heard the floor creak and the sound of rustling clothes. Then footsteps coming closer. My heart died in my chest as the bathroom light flicked on and they stood in the doorway.

I did everything I could to not show how scared I was. Bella stood in the doorway with an evil grin on her face. Jasper was behind her with his arms around her waist.

"Come here, human." she said. I didn't move.

I felt a wave of calm trying to get through my body. The purpose was to coax me to Bella. I didn't want to be calm and go to her. I firmly stayed on the floor pushing Jasper's emotions away. Bella looked at Jasper confused. Jasper looked back at her and shrugged.

"I said, come here." she nearly bellowed this time.

I rose from my spot on the floor but backed away from her instead. I nearly ran into the tub.

"Fine." she said and nodded at Jasper.

Jasper was behind me in a second. He was holding my hands behind my back. I struggled to free myself but it was useless. His hands were more effective than manacles. Bella was in my face a second later.

"So you know our dirty little secret." she stated. "The thing is, we aren't ready for Alice and Edward to know about this yet. Which means you're going to have to keep your mouth shut."

"And what if I don't?" I asked with a little more force than intended. She backhanded me. Like always, it wasn't enough to cause permenant damge, it was only meant to hurt.

"Then I'll just have to convince Carlisle to go to Alaska for our new set of slaves." she said once the shock of the slap wore off.

It took me a second to process what she was getting at. In that second, I knew we were right. She had the diary and she had read it.

"Leave them out of this." I hissed.

"If you keep your mouth shut then they'll be no reason to bring them into it. On the other hand, Jasper is looking for a new young girl for himself and your niece, Katherine, is the age he likes. You do want her to see her eleventh birthday don't you." Bella taunted.

"I won't say anything." I said in defeat.

I knew Edward and Alice deserved to know but I couldn't risk the only family I had left. Bella smiled her evil twisted smile and patted my head.

"Good dog." she said. Then turned to leave.

I waited for Jasper to release me but he never did. Instead, he began trailing kisses down my neck. I shuddered as my heart started pounding faster.

"You know, Bella." he whispered. "I've never had a human before. I'm curious to see what Edward found so great about it."

My heart skipped a beat when he said that. I looked at Bella with pleading eyes. She simply smiled, leaned against the door frame, and nodded for him to procceed. He spun me around and slammed me into the wall so fast, I hardly registered what happened. Suddenly both my wrists were pinned above my head with on of his hands. It was just as effective as both.

He brought his lips to mine before I could try to stop him. I swallowed the bile as his tongue made it's way around my impassive one. Then he moved done to my neck again. I felt a jolt of pleasure run through me and knew what he was doing. I forced it away so hard that he stopped and looked at me for a minute.

"No matter." he whispered. "I figure it will be just as fun if only I enjoy it."

He continued kissing down my neck. When he got to my shirt, he pulled it up and began fondeling me with his free hand. I was begging for him to stop and trying to fight the tears. I glanced to Bella. She was still leaning against the doorway with that twisted grin on her face. Jasper began touching, licking, and kissing my upper body. Every once in awhile, he'd let his teeth lightly graze my skin. He never broke the skin but just knowing how close he was sent shivers down my spine.

When he made it to my pants, he had them down to my ankles with a flick of his finger. My underwear shortly followed. I continued to beg for him to leave me alone, no longer able to hold back the tears. I told them I wouldn't tell but he just smirked at me. He bunched all four fingers together and rammed them roughly into my opening. I only allowed myself to let out a small whimper of pain but I heard Bella's short cold laugh.

It was ten times worse than when Edward did it. I thought it was because it had been such a long time then again Jasper was powered by anger and he was no doubt finding off the excitement that was apparent in Bella's eyes. He continued to ram his fingers deeper into to me. The pain was so intense, I couldn't help but cry out a couple times.

After a few minutes that seemed like hours, he pulled his fingers out. He held them up to my face showing me the blood. Then he licked each one, individually.

"That is some of the best blood, I've ever tasted." he said when he finished. " I can see why Edward uses you to curb his thirst. It's too bad that he's so attached or I'd take it all now."

He licked my neck then I felt his teeth graze along it. I sucked in a breath trying not to panic. I felt him smirk against my neck.

Then he reached down to undo his pants.

"Please, just leave me alone." I cried out.

Both he and Bella laughed. He rammed himself into me as hard as he could. I let out another whimper of pain. He thrust himself deeper and deeper into. I let out whimpers and pleads as the pain shot through me. It felt like he was crushing my pelvic bone.

Finally, I felt his icy sperm spill into me. He pulled out and released me. As he put his pants back on, I slid to the floor sobbing. Jasper walked over to Bella's spot by the door and Bella walked to me. She knelt down by my side.

"Remember," she said in the most threatening voice I had ever heard. "Not a word of this to either of them unless you want your niece to suffer."

She stood and kicked me in the stomach and knocked the wind out of me. I gasped to get my breath back as she and Jasper walked out of the room like nothing happened. When I heard the bedroom door close, I crawled to the toilet and got violently sick.

After about a half hour of vomitting, on and off, I pulled my close back on. Then I curled up on the cot and cried myself to sleep. All the while wishing Edward was there to tell me it would be okay.

**BELLA**

After saying goodnight to Jasper, I walked to Carlisle's study. As scared as I knew the human was from Jasper wonderful tactics, I wasn't prepared to chance Edward finding out. Not that I cared if I hurt him but I wasn't prepared for the fighting that it would cause. It had the potential to rip the family apart even more. I wasn't prepared for that either. So I had to do everything in my power to make sure that the girl did keep her mouth shut. It would be a whole lot easier if I had her little niece in my possession.

When I reached Carlisle's door, I knocked.

"Come in." he called. I opened the door and walked in. "Hello Bella. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I was hoping, we could do this month's collection in Palmer, Alaska." I said trying to sound as innoccent as possible.

"Is there a reason?" he asked pleasantly.

"No, it's just somewhere we haven't looked yet. I hear there's a lot of good humans over there." I said.

I had a feeling he could see right through me. He was the only I couldn't fool with my wonderful new acting ability. He studied me for the longest time.

"Yes. I heard the about the decent stock they have there as well." he finally answered. "I will let Edward know as soon as he gets back."

"Thanks, Carlisle." I said with a smile.

I walked out the door feeling very accomplished.

**A/N: One quick thing; Just so we're clear, even though, Edward is in charge of controling the humans, Carlisle chooses where and when to get them. And Edward and Alice went to Russia to go "slave trading" with Dimitri. They plan on coming home empty handed, though. At this point, they're just going through the motions. I hope you enjoyed. Cookies and hugs for reviews. **


	15. Feelings and Promises

**A/N: So I knew where I was going with this story but was unsure of how to get there. With help from my muse and changing some things from the original plan, I have figured it out. So I hope you like it. **

**KARI**

Jasper decided that he liked sex with a human, or rather just sex with me. He came back the next two nights. Bella was with him, of course. It was a win win thing for both of them. Bella got to watch me in pain, her favorite past time and the whole thing made her even more horny than she already was. And Jasper, well, he got some twice each night.

He made abousolutely sure that he didn't leave any physical evidence when he was finished. Bella reminded me of her threat before they left both nights.

I spent most of those two days sleeping. When I was a sleep I didn't have to feel the pain.

**EDWARD**

When I take my trips to Russia, I always choose one member of the family to come with me. Alice was the obvious choice this time. I knew she wouldn't question why I decided not to take any of Dimitri's slaves. Plus, I couldn't survive a week getting the silent treatment from Bella.

When it came time to choose my slaves, I inspected all of them. After choosing none, I explained to Dimitri that they didn't meet my requirements. Which wasn't a complete lie.

Alice and I decided the requirement was the human had to deserve a taste of their own medicine. Which meant we would only take abusive parents and husbands, child molesters, rapists, and killers. That was why we ended with only fifty humans after our last raid. Dimitri's lot met none of the requirements.

Alice spent the rest of the week, sight seeing, shopping, and worrying about Kari. I spent the rest of the week worrying about Kari. I didn't like that I couldn't be there to protect her. That caught me off guard.

The last time I felt like that was with Bella. Kari was different from Bella, though. I still hadn't figured out why. The pull to be with Kari was stronger. And there was a time when I would've killed anyone who hurt Bella but now I would have killed Bella if she hurt Kari. I had been trying to fight the feelings for Kari for months.

I knew that I was in love with her but it wasn't right. After all I've done to her, what right did I have to ask for her love? I mean I was still amazed at the forgiveness that she so graciously gave out. But asking for her love was way too much. I'd just have to settle with what we were right now. But the question was what were we know? I guess we'd have to talk when I got back.

I asked Alice a few times to check on Kari's future. Everything kept coming up blank. She just couldn't see anything. Which was very odd for Alice. I knew she couldn't see part humans like Nessie and Jake but she had seen Kari before. Why couldn't she see Kari now?

I decided to buy a cell phone and hide it in the room for her. That way I could call her if I got too worried or she could call me if she got hurt.

Finallly, we were on the plane, heading back to the U.S. Esme picked us up from the airport. We threw our stuff in the trunk and I got in the front.

Esme was one of the most amazing people I knew. She didn't agree with anything the family had become at all. I had known this from the beginning. She never even went off the animal diet. She, like Alice and I, worried about getting thrown out of the family for it. She couldn't stand to be away from us. She still loved all of us, with the exception of Carlisle, too much to walk away.

Carlisle had hurt her too much in the past six years for her to go on loving him. She stayed with though, for the sake of the "kids." I admired her for that. I never told a soul the things I picked up from her thoughts, not even when I disagreed with her. I still hadn't told Alice but I figured she'd already seen it.

She looked upset when I got into the car.

"Are you alright?" I asked when I saw her strained face.

"I fine." she said but I knew she wasn't. I didn't push it though. "How was your trip?"

"Fine." I said.

"Great." Alice added.

She then launched into a long explaination of everything she saw and bought. I didn't mind. It gave me time to think about Kari. I missed her so much. I was anxious too. I wanted to go and inspect every inch of her body, to be sure she wasn't touched. Alice talked the whole time. It wasn't until about ten minutes from the house the Esme looked at me.

"Carlisle would like to see as soon as we get back." she said.

I was polite and didn't probe her thoughts but was curious about what was so important.

"Okay. Do you know what about?" I asked.

"He said it was just to tell you when and where we're going for the next set of humans." she answered shortly. I nodded. "But," she added. "Bella has been spending a lot of time talking to him the past three days. And she always leaves smiling."

Even though she still loved each of us like her own children, she was still aware of Bella's new vindictive nature. Esme knew that she blamed me for what happened to Nessie and would do anything to get back at me. She did her best to warn me when Bella was planning things. I appreciated her for that.

"Do you know if she hurt my human?" I asked wanting to make sure she kept Kari out of it.

"Not to my knowledge." Esme answered in her motherly tone.

I sunk back into my own thoughts. They weren't enough, however, to stop Esme clicking ones from entering my mind. She was putting things together and preparing to ask the question I was dreading.

"What's going on with you and the human? Her name's Kari, right?" she said.

I nodded but didn't answer the question at first. I debated whether or not, I should tell her. I thought I could trust her but what if? With the way things were now, you couldn't be to sure.

_"Your secrets are safe with me." _she thought.

I looked back at Alice who nodded.

"I think I'm falling in love with her." I said.

She smiled.

"I thought so." she said.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't think I haven't noticed your changes." Esme replied. "It feels like Bella all over again, only better. They way your trying to protect Kari from everything. I noticed you both went back to the animal diet. And you stop using the girls for your own peasures. I'm betting she had something to do with all of it."

I just nodded.

"I honestly saw it all coming from the first day you saw her." Esme continued. "You looked at her the way you used to look at Bella. Well, I mean, to me you did. I know you well enough to have see it deep inside your eyes. I'd like to talk to her some time if you mind."

"Anytime." I said.

It was nice to know that we had at least one of the "parentals" on our side. If Carlisle was too stupid to see through what Bella was trying to do, we didn't need him.

When we pulled in front of the house, Alice and I grabbed our bags and went inside. Alice took my bag at the door.

"Go see Carlisle. I'll go up and check on Kari." she said and headed to the stairs.

"Okay, thanks, Alice." I said and headed to Carlisle's study.

**ALICE**

When I got upstairs, I found Kari asleep on her cot. I didn't want to wake her but I knew she'd want to know right away when we got home. I walked over to the cot and gently shook her awake.

"Kari, honey, it's Alice. We're back." I said.

Her eyes fluttered open and she stared at me for a minute until recognition set in. Then she sat up and through her arms around me.

"Alice, oh my god. I'm so glad you're back. I missed you so much."

She had a death grip on my neck. I had to pry her off.

"Kari, are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's just so boring around here without you two." she said.

She was lying, I could see it eyes. Someone had done something.

"Did Bella hurt you at all?" I asked.

"No." she said. I wasn't convinced. She had that look in her eyes that told me she was hiding something. "In fact," she added trying to sound a little more convincing. "She just ignored me when she came in."

I wanted to question her furhter but she started asking me questions about the trip. She kept me talking about the sites and the shopping until Edward came back up. I didn't get a chance to ask her about anything.

**EDWARD**

I walked to Carlisle study and knocked on the door.

"Come in." he said.

I opened the door and walked in. He was sitting at his desk with papers and books scattered accross it. He was writing something. I tried to hear what this conversation was going to be about but he was carefully blocking me. That was how it was now. Everyone blocked me when they knew I was in a room. That was something they never did before. The family was always open and we never had secrets. Now, it felt like our family was built on secrets and lies.

"Have a seat." he told me.

I sat, even though I technically didn't need to. It would be easier to talk about this sitting, anyway.

"How was your trip?" he asked.

"It was fine." I responded. I hand a feeling of what he was getting at.

"Did you find anything for us?" he probed.

"Unfortunately, nothing caught my interest." I said evenly.

"I see."

He had a look on his face that told me, he thought there was more to it.

"Yeah," I said trying to sound as convincing as posible. The humans are just getting so dull. I'm not having any fun anymore."

"But your human is still holding your interest."

"Yes."

"Can I ask why?"

"Is this really what you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked getting annoyed. "I had a long flight and would like to rest."

"Right, sorry. I just wanted to inform you that we will be going to Palmer, Alaska for our next set of slaves."

I tried to keep my features blank as I proccessed the information. I was fuming inside though. Bella had the diary and she had read it. I wasn't going to let her get away with taking Kari's niece. I do what I could to stop it.

"Okay," I said. "Is there anything else?"

"No, that's all." he said and I got up to leave. "But I hope that you'll find something of interest there because I don't like having empty cells at the warehouse."

I just walked out and had to use all my willpower not to slam the door. I walked up the stairs contemplating how I should break this news to Kari.

When I walked in the door, both Alice and Kari turned to look at me.

"We have a problem." I announced.

**KARI**

"We have a problem." Edward said the minuyte he walked through the door.

That phrase drained any happiness that his coming home brought. From the look on his face it was bad. Bella was no doubt using the diary to manipulate Carlisle.

"What?" I asked.

"Carlisle has just told me that we are going to Alaska for our next human pick up." he said.

No! She couldn't have done that. I told her I was going to say anything. She was going to back out on her word. I could feel the tears coming. Why was she doing this to me? What did I ever do to her? I didn't choose any of this.

"No, you can't. Not them." I said.

Edward was in front of me in a minute.

"Shh!" he whispered and wiped the tears away. "Alice and I will do everything we can to make sure they don't get hurt."

I nodded. I couldn't help but believe him.

"Did Carlisle say anything else?" Alice asked.

"Nothing to prove that Bella's told him anything about you and I. It was just the suspicions that our actions lately have been causing." Edward answered.

The two stared at each other for a minute and Edward nodded. They did this quite often they were good at the whole silent conversation thing.

"Well, I'm going to go unpack and let Japser know I'm back. Not tht he would care." she said and stood up to leave.

I heard the sadness in her voice and wanted to tell them both but I didn't know what Bella was planning on doing in Alaska. I figured it was best not to give her fuel for the fire. Besides, we hadn't even discussed what we were going to do. Why was she leaving now? When she walked out the door Edward began pacing.

"Did Bella do anything to you while we were gone?" he asked.

"No." I lied. He seemed to buy it.

"Good because I worried the whole week." he replied. "It was hard for me not to be here to protect you. Alice got very annoyed with me."

I nodded. I had a feeling were this was going so I was just going to let him talk through it.

"It was a weird feeling because I hadn't been that anxious to be away from someone since Bella and I started our relationship. She was the only person I couldn't stand being away from. And the ironic part is I would've killed anyone who hurt her but now, I'd kill her if she hurt you." He continued.

I continued staring at him intently. I had been waiting for something like this for almost two months.

"And I know that it's crazy to be sayin this to you. After everything that I've said and done to you but I think I may be in love with you." He said. "And not like I was in love with Bella. I think her love was supposed to lead me to you. And I know I have no right to say it or feel it but that's the way it is. And I know I have no right to ask for anything in return, which I won't but...:"

I held up a hand for him to stop. I wanted him to know that I felt the same way because yes, he did some horrible things to me but it didn't change how I felt too.

"Stop, please." I said. "I've been waiting to hear those words for awhile. And I want you to know that despite everything that you have done, I love you too. The things you've done have only helped you to reach this conclusions and they helped you realize that you needed to change. I can't hate you for those things because they helped you. I..."

Before I could say anything else, he was kissing me and I was kissing him back. The kiss was full of passion and longing. It was something we both needed at that moment. I closed my eyes feeling the passion and peasure of it. As the kiss deepened and he leaned me back on the cot, Jasper's face flashed accross my mind and I had to stop Edward.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked concern flooding his features.

"No." I replied. "It was just a little too fast for me. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He whispered pulling himself away from me.

He got up and walked to his bed. I followed. When he sat, I laid down resting my head on his chest. He began stroking my hair. This was nice but we still hadn't discussed how we were going to save my sister and her family.

"Are you sure you can protect them?" I asked.

"I'm not going to lie. It's going to be difficult but I promise we will do everything we can to protect them. But when Bella wants something, she'll stop at nothing to get it. And we have to be careful not to blow our cover."

"I know." I said. I had my own experiences with Bella's wants. I didn't want them to get caught either. I couldn't stand it, if I was responsible for tearing them away from their family. "Don't get caught. I don't think I could live with that. I don't want you sent away."

"Don't worry." Edward said. "We'll be careful."

He kissed the top of my head.

"Oh and Esme wants to talk to you sometime." he said after a few minutes of silence.

"Have I unintetionally offended her to?" I asked.

My heart was racing. I didn't think I could take another vindictive female vampire who wanted me dead.

"Calm down." He said. "I imagine she just wants to thank you."

"For what?" I asked trying to get my heart rate back under control.

"Giving me life again."

He kissed the top of my head again. We laid like that for awhile. I couldn't believe how comfort I was. I felt like not even Bella could hurt me while I was in his arms. Eventually, I drifted off to sleep again.

**A/N: I'm sorry for the ending of this chapter. It got too late for me to work on last night and by the time I was able to work on it today, I had forgotten the dialouge. So I hope this version turned out good. **


	16. Truth

**KARI**

The week passed in a painful blur. Bella came up with many ways to distract Alice and Edward from me. She didn't seem convinced that I would keep my mouth shut so she let Jasper continue to have his fun with me. She said it was only going to be until she had my niece in her possession. Which would be never.

Esme did come to talk to me about halfway through the week. She, first told me that she was grateful for the change that I made in Edward and how she was happy to consider me family, even if Carlisle, Bella, and Jasper didn't. She went to tell me about some family friends who lived in Denali.

They had never renounced the old ways and secered ties with the Cullen family, except Esme. She had never strayed from the old ways either. The clan in Denali, didn't think of the humans as insignificant, they thought of them as equals. They had bought an old warehouse and would provide shelter and safety for any human who asked for it. Esme sent a letter to them to ask them to go and collect my sister and her family.

When the Cullens arrived at my sister's house, it was burned to the ground. Esme told the clan to burn it so there was no evidence. Bella was very put out when she had to come back empty handed.

Things got a little easier after that. I was allowed to roam the house as I pleased. I was no longer expected to do work. I could help the other girls if I wanted to. I did at first but they treated like I was a traitor. They would mock bow to me and refer to me as Mistress Kari with great sarcasm. They would shove me out of a room that I was trying to help clean. After two weeks, I gave up my efforts.

Since Bella couldn't use my niece against me any longer, she would tell Carlisle about the things she read in the diary to get him mad at Edward and Alice. A fight would insue between the three of them giving Bella and Jasper the time to do what they wanted to me. I indured it because I knew I always had Edward's arms to go running into.

Two months later...

I was sitting in the desk chair in Edward's room. Alice was sitting across from me, giving me a manicure. Edward was on the bed, looking at the photo album and telling me stories from the past. Some were happy and others weren't I didn't mind the sad ones because it made me see who Edward really was.

I had just spent a couple hours shopping with Alice and Esme. Yes, Edward gave me permission to leave the Cullen grounds as long as he or Alice or Esme was with me. We cut the trip early because I had been feeling strange. It wasn't sick but it wasn't right either.

Instead, Alice contented herself with making me pretty. I didn't mind. I thought I could really use a makeover. She seemed to like my excitement about the whole thing. She had already finished my right hand and was working on the index finger on my left, when I felt the need to dart to the bathroom.

I barely managed to flip the lid up on the toilet before I got violently sick. Alice and Edward had both followed me and I felt him pull my hair back. I was down there for a good two minutes before it finally stopped.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked.

"No." I said.

The nausea had gone away but I still had I sharp pain in my stomach. It felt like I was on the recieving end of one of Bella's kicks.

"Alice, why don't you go get Garfunkel." Edward said as he picked me up.

Alice was out the door before I could protest. Edward carried me over to the bed. He felt my forehead. His cool hand did feel surprisingly good. I guess I may have had a slight fever. He laid next to me and stroked my hair.

"Does anything hurt?" he asked.

"My stomach feels like someone kicked me." I explained then the nausea hit again.

I leaned over the bed. Edward, bless him, had placed a small trash can next to me. I vomitted again. It wasn't quite as bad as the first time. Edward held my hair back once again. When I came back up, Alice was walking in with Dr. Garfunkel.

He walked over to me and began examining me. He asked me a series of questions and pressed on my stomach a little. I winced in certain places.

"I'm going to need to do an internal exam." he said after a few minutes. "Would you two please, step outside?"

**EDWARD**

"I'm going to need to do an internal exam." he said after a few minutes. "Would you two please, step outside?"

Alice and I walked out the door. What could be wrong with her? I knew what it looked like but it wasn't possible. I hadn't touched her in four months. I didn't want to think of the possiblity that someone else had.

"Do you have any idea?" Alice asked me.

"I have one but it's not possible. It's been too long." I answered.

"What do you think it is?" she pressed.

I didn't want to say it. Saying it made it true. Saying it meant I had to hurt Carlisle or Jasper. They were the only two who could have done it. I just shook my head.

"Let's wait and hear what Garfunkel has to say." I told her. "I don't want to cause any undue stress on anyone. If I'm right, though, things are going to get nasty around here."

"Just tell me." Alice begged.

I shook my head looking down. I probed her mind to see if she was guessing anywhere near what I thought. She was slowly putting the right pieces together. When she finally pulled it all together, she asked,

"But who?"

I shrugged.

"If we're right, I'll find out and kill them." I told her.

We stood in silence until Garfunkel came out. I took a deep unecessary breath.

"It's not possible." he said.

I knew at that point that I was right. He'd never dealt with this before so, of course, he'd think it wasn't possible.

"What's not possible?" Alice asked.

She was holding on to a last hope that it wasn't. I knew she was just going to be disappointed.

"I tested her just a few weeks ago. She wasn't with child but she's about nine weeks along now." he explained.

I felt guilt wash over me. Why did I bring her here in the first place? I could've kept her from this if it weren't for my damn pride. Then something else he said caught on my train of thought.

"What do you mean, you tested her a few weeks ago?" I asked him.

"Mistress Bella requested I give her a pregnancy test." he replied. "It came back negative."

I didn't respond. Instead, I walked back into the room. Kari was still in the bed. She was wrapped up nice and warm in the blankets. I noticed the slightly frightened look on her. She could, no doubt, see how angry I was.

"Kari," I said kneeling next to her. I traced her jawline with me finger. "Has someone been hurting you?" I tried to stay calm.

She just shook her head but tears were pooling in her eyes.

"Please, tell me." I begged. "I need to know. It's the only way I can help you through what's about to happen."

"I can't. They'll hurt me worse." she said the tears spilling over. I wiped them away.

"No they won't." I whispered fiercely. "I won't let them."

Alice had floated in and was sitting on the edge of the bed. Kari looked at her then back at me.

"You won't believe me." she cried. "Neither of you will."

"Try me." I said.

"It was Jasper and Bella." she said letting the tears flow more freely.

I was furious. I wanted to rip them both apart but I needed details before anything else.

"Tell me everything." I said to her.

"It started three days before you guys came back from Russia." she choked out. "I heard Bella and Jasper having sex. When they found out I heard, Bella told me if I said anything, she'd go after my niece. Jasper decided that threat wasn't good enough and he raped me."

I had to fight to listen to the rest of the story as I shook with rage. I looked to Alice, her expression was mingled with sadness and fury. I could hear her mentally battling herself to stay in place. I nodded for Kari to continue.

"They came back the two nights you were gone. Then Bella found ways to allow it to continue until she could get her hands on Katherine. When Esme foiled that one, Bella decided the best way to keep me silent was to allow Jasper to continue having his fun with me. It's been going on for two and a half months." she was sobbing openly now.

"Oh, honey why didn't you tell me?" I said as I craddled her head in my arms. "I could've stopped it before it got this far."

"I was afraid of them. If they were capable of those things just to make me keep my mouth shut, what are they capable of now that I opened it?" she said pulling away so I could understand her.

"It's okay. I won't let them do anything to you." I told her.

I held her trying to let go of my fury to get her calmed. How could my brother do this? The old Jasper was not capable of something like this. The old Bella wouldn't have let it happen. How did they family get so messed up in so little time?

Alice and I comforted Kari as she cried herself to sleep. It was only then that I allowed myself to let the rage take over. I laid her gently down, made sure the blankets were secure then took off up the stairs with Alice on my heels.

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I was going to make this chapter longer but it's late and I have an early day tomorrow. I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer for an update. I know this pregnancy is different from the way Bella symptoms went. But I know that every woman is different and the different circumstances effect the symptoms. That's why I tried to make it look different. Also, I recieved a review that stated, Bella and Edward are better. I totally agree with that statement. Just like I think Alice and Jasper are better. Those two couples are my favorites. I love them the way they are. But I also enjoy thinking out of the box as often as possible. And as you can tell from this fic, it's way out of the box. **


	17. Fallout

**A/N: Warning!! This is a fight scene. Don't be mad, please!!**

**EDWARD**

I ran up the stairs to Alice and Jasper's room. Alice was right behind me all the way. I barreled through the door, not pausing to listen for anyone. What I saw when I was inside, stop me for a milisecond. Bella was laying on the bed and Jasper was straddling her. He was trailing kisses down her neck. I let out a loud growl and leapt at Jasper. I knocked him off Bella and the bed completely. I had him pinned to the gorund.

I took the focus off Jasper when I heard Alice growl and leapt at Bella. I smirked when I heards Bella's whimper of fear. There was a time when I would've forgotten Jasper and went after Alice for even attempting to hurt Bella. Now, all I thought was of how much she deserved it. Not only for what she allowed Jasper to do to Kari but for the pain she was causing Alice now.

I paid for my momentary laspe of attention. Jasper threw me off of him. I hit the wall, probably denting it, but I didn't bother to check. Instead, I stood and launched myself at Jasper who was trying to pry Alice off of Bella. I slammed him against a wall. He used grabbed my shirt and tossed me back into the dresser.

Alice had thrown Bella into the wardrobe in the corner. I saw Bella get back up and run at Alice. Jasper came at me before I could do anything to help Alice. The fight between the for of us continued. I mentally thanked Carlisle for allowing us to knock out some of the walls to make more the bedrooms bigger.

I'm not sure how long we threw eachother around before I heard a loud, shrill, and motherly voice yell,

"Stop this right now, all four of you!"

Jasper and I froze in a crouching position and I truned to see Esme and Carlisle standing in the entryway of the room. Carlisle was leaning against the door frame and Esme was standing in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest. I spotted Bella lying on a pile of wood that was Alice's desk, Alice was a few feet from her in a crouching position.

"Now, all of you down to the dining room." Esme said. "Now!"

Jasper pulled ouot of his position and went to help Bella up, completely ignoring Alice. I looked at Alice's face. The anger was wearing off, only to be replaced by sadness. I walked over to her and placed a comforting arm around her shoulder. Once Jasper had pulled Bella up, he put a protective arm around her shoulder and she wrapped her arms around his waist. As we walked by Carlisle and Esme, I heard them both trying to figure out what was going on.

Alice laid her head on my shoulder. I heard the terrible depressed edge her thoughts had taken. I wish I could've thought of something comforting to say. Unfortunately, I was still drowning in my rage and contemplating the current situation. I was trying to decide how much I should tell them. Maybe, tonight, wasn't the best night to bring up the pregnancy. It could cause a worse fight than what we were about to have.

When we reached the dining room, Jasper and Bella sat next to each other. Jasper kept his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder like she was the victim. I growled at them as I sat across from Jasper. Alice sat next to me. She crossed her arms on the table and stuck her head in them. I placed a comforting hand on her back and began rubbing circles.

Carlisle and Esme remained standing. Carlisle looked furious but Esme looked more sad than anything else.

"Is someone going to explain what we just walked in on?" Esme questioned.

"The truth coming out." I said trying to soften my tone as I looked to Esme. "These two have been sleeping together behind our backs. And Jasper has been raping Kari because she found out. They wanted to scare her into not saying anything. Kari just told me everything."

"I'm going to kill that wench." Bella stated.

"If you lay so much as a finger on her, Bella, I'll kill you." I stated.

"And if you lay a hand on her, Edward, I'll kill you." Jasper put in.

"I'd like to see you try." I growled standing up.

"Knock it off, Edward!" Bella snapped. "You have nobody to blame but yourself."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I snapped back.

"If you weren't fucking the humans, I wouldn't be fucking Jasper." she stated.

"You know that has nothing to do with it." I stated. "You'd be fucking him if I was one hundred percent faithful to your hypocritical ass! You're just trying to get back at me for what happened that night. Just admit that you blame me."

"It's so much more than that, Edward." she replied furiously. "But since you brought it up, yes, I do blame you. You should've never let her go! I told you, I didn't have a good feeling about it."

"She needed to go. Jaocb needed her to be there. Just like you needed me to be at Charlie's funeral. And we both know, if we tried to stop her from going then she would've found a way to go. That's just the way she was. Besides, she went into the hands of a pack of very capable werewolves."

"And the entire pack, lost their lives, that night, too. She would've been safer if she was with us. She'd still be alive if she stayed."

"You don't know that. The Volturi don't stop until they have something that they want! You of all people should know that. We could've all died if she stayed."

"Better us than our friends!"

Jasper placed a hand on Bella's shoulder. I could tell he was trying to calm her. I could feel himusing his powers. I looked at Esme's fearful face and Carlisle's impassive one and worked to calm myself. I looked over to Alice who still had her head in her arms. She was trying so hard to cry. I had to know what she had done to Bella to deserve this.

"I don't understand one thing." I said turning my cold stare back to Bella. "I know you wanted to punish me for what happened to Ness but you could've had an affair with any guy you wanted, human or vampire. Why did you have to hurt your sister and best friend by going to Jasper?"

"It wasn't my intention but she deserves it too. She should've seen it coming."

Alice looked up very hurt by the accusation.

"You know she couldn't see Nessie or the wolves!"

"But she should've seen the Volturi."

"We didn't have any reason to be looking for them. We got luckly the first time because she was looking for Irina who went to them. But nobody went to them this time. They took us by surprise."

"What do you mean it wasn't your intention?" Alice asked speaking for the first time.

Bella looked to Jasper.

"The affair has been going on for nearly three years." Jasper answered staring at Alice. "I've been in love with her since we spent all that time in Pheonix hiding from James. I didn't want to hurt you or Edward so I kept my feelings to myself. Then after, Rosalie and Emmett died, Bella came to me because you," He turned his cold stare on me. "Were so caught up in your reveged that you didn't see her pain. She had lost a father, daughter, brother, and sister in a period of four years. She needed a shoulder to cry on. I gave her that shoudler. Six months later, she told me she loved me. I couldn't deny my feelings after that. And things just escalated from there."

"But why did you have to hurt Kari?" I asked ouraged. Bella, the hypocrite, had been cheating on my long before I started on her. "It's obvious, you guys don't mind that this is hurting us. Why did you have to make her keep quiet?"

"Because she's a lowly human," Bella replied. "She didn't have any business telling you anything. This is between the four of us."

I growled again.

"Okay, it's obvious that this is going to turn into another brawl so this is what I want," Carlisle spoke for the first time since we entered the dining room. I tried to get a read on his thoughts but Bella was shielding him. "I will have divorce papers for both couples by morning. You will all sign them. In the meantime, I want Bella and Alice to switch rooms. I don't want anymore fighting. As for your _slave, _Edward, she is to stay confined in your room, once again, you will put a new lock on the door. Only give a key to those you don't mind being alone with her. So you don't get angry like this again. Now, if any of you decide that this is too difficult, then you are welcome to move out. I won't make any of you leave. No matter how our opinions vary. Now, go and switch your rooms. And no more fighting."

Alice and I walked back to the room. I kept my arm around Alice trying to be comforting. I wasn't surprised to see Kari awake when we walked in. All the crashes and the shouting must have woken her.

"What happened?" she asked.

"We confronted them." I answered. Panic streaked on to her face. I was by her side in a second. "Don't worry I won't let them hurt you. I promise. Carlisle is having Bella and Alice switch rooms and I'm changing the lock on the door. Only Esme, Alice, and I will have a key."

She nodded and calmed.

"How are you feeling?" I asked concerned that she might be hurting.

"A little better. My stomach's still sore but I haven't vomitted since the second time." she answered. I saw confusion on her face. "Edward, Dr. Garfunkel never told me what he thought was wrong. He just walked out muttering impossible. Did he tell you?"

"Yes." I said. I wasn't prepared to try to explain things to her. "It's complicated, though, and you need some rest. Go back to sleep for a few more hours and I'll explain when you wake up."

She knew she wasn't going to win the arguement and snuggled closer to me. She was asleep in seconds. I turned my attention to Alice's thoughts of inadequacy.

"Please, don't think like that?" I asked. "You are beautiful, smart, funny, and the best person I know. If anyone is inadequat it's him. He's the one who doesn't deserve someone as wonderful as you."

I held out my arm and she crawled to my otherside. She snuggled her head into my shoulder.

"Thanks, Edward. It was nice to hear." she said. "But I don't think I'm ready to believe you."

"Then I'll make sure I tell you everyday until you do." I said. She smiled. I noted that her thoughts brightened a little.

"Well, I should go and get my things moved." she said after a minute and moved to stand.

"Do you want me to help?" I offered halfheartedly. I knew it was a nice gesture but I really didn't want to leave Kari exposed to Bella.

"No, if Bella's going to be in and out of here then you should stay with Kari. Just in case."

"Thanks." I said and she smiled as she walked out the door.

I held Kari in my arms stroking her hair. I didn't know what we were going to do about the pregnancy. I knew it would divide the family even more. Some of them wouldn't want the reminder of Nessie. The worst part was Kari didn't even have a choice in the matter. Well, she didn't have a choice in getting pregnant. I was going to let her choose what she wanted to do. If she wanted to have the baby, I'd let her, regardless, of what the family thought.

Bella's entrance interuptted my thoughts. She had a large empty box in her hands. She threw a dirty look at Kari and me then began putting things into the box at human speed.

"That's disgusting, you know?" she said.

What a hypocrite.

"You didn't seem to think it was disgusting when you were the human in my arms." I stated.

"That was a different time." she said.

Her voice was cold. It sounded like the time she spent with me as a human no longer meant anything to her.

"A time when we weren't the superior race." she finished.

"Maybe, it's time we go back to that." I said.

"There's no way. We like this life to much."

"There are many who don't." I stated. "They"d fight another war to stop it, if they had to."

"But there wouldn't be enough of them to win."

"Maybe, Maybe not." I shrugged. The idea of another war to stop things like this from happening again wasn't a bad idea.

She huffed and finished packing with her vampire speed.

"By the way, you can't protect her forever. I'll have my chance." she said just before she left.

"I dare you." I said in a low voice. She laughed shrilly.

A few minutes later, Alice came back with a huge box. She plopped it in a corner and crawled back onto the bed.

"I made sure I had a big enough box for only one trip." she said.

"I understand." I replied.

"So, what are we going to do about it?" Alice asked.

"I'm going to let her decide. Garfunkel didn't tell her. So I have to explain it all. I'm keeping it quiet until she decides. Esme will be the first to know though."

Alice nodded into my shoulder.

"Maybe we should have one of the other girls on hand. She might need some blood when she wakes up." I said thinking out loud.

:Could we get them to do it willingly, though?" Alice questioned.

"You could. They really trust you." I told her.

"I can try." she replied.

"In a little bit." I said stopping her from standing. "You need to just relax for a bit. It's been a long day."

I sat there with my arm around my sister and the love of my life in my arms. I was thinking of all the problems that were about to complicate our lives. Yet, this felt perfect. I knew _this _family would be alright.

**A/N: Just one thing, Esme is included in the family Edward was thinking of. I just couldn't find a decent way to bring her in for the ending. Sorry about that. Let me know what you think. **_**I LOVE REVIEWS!!**_


	18. Choices

**KARI**

_I was standing in the middle of a clearing. My hands were resting on my overly large stomach. I looked at it and realized I had to be at least eight months along. I stood there staring at my stomach trying to get over the shock of what I had just discovered. _

_After a couple seconds, I heard some growling and snarling. I had thought I was alone, but when I looked to my left I saw Bella, Jasper, and Carlisle. They were all three in a crouching position snarling at something to the otherside of me. I turned my head to the left to find Esme, Edward, and Alice were in the same position facing the others. _

_Somehow, I knew what this was all about. I didn't want them to fight. Not over me. Not over my situation. There family had fallen apart enough without my help. _

_"No!" I yelled. "Please don't fight! Not over this!" _

_I ran to Jasper first. I didn't understand why. I began pounding on his chest. Begging and crying for the fighting not to happen. He gripped my arms and shoved me back. Edward was right behind me before I hit the ground. _

_"It's okay." he whispered. _

_He half carried me back to their side of the meadow. He placed me behind himself, Alice, and Esme. Then got back into position. It was a tense moment as I stood there blinking the tears from my vision. Then the two groups leapt at each other._

_"NO!!STOP!!" I yelled. _

I was sitting in Edward's bed. He was by my side a milisecond after a popped up screaming.

"Are you alright?" He asked wearing a worried expression.

"Yes, just a bad dream." I answered.

I wasn't concerned with the details of it. I knew what it was trying to tell me and that's all that mattered.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked concerned.

"No, I know what it was trying to tell me." I said. "I'm pregnant, aren't I?"

"I'm so sorry." he said as a confirmation.

I nodded then I remembered the other part of my dream. That was the part I was terrified of.

"And the others aren't going to like it, are they?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"What should I do?" I asked.

He moved from the floor to the bed and intwined his fingers in mine.

"I'm going to give you your three options and then you can decide what you want from there. I won't tell you what to do. This decision has too many consquences for anybody to tell you what you want. Before I get too much into it, Alice and I want you to know that we will support and defend you, regardless of which option you choose."

I nodded. This was worrying me. I wasn't sure why he was being so grave. I knew that having a child like Nessie had it complications but what could be so bad.

"Option one we could just get rid of him or her." Edward said.

"Not an option." I said immediately. I refused to kill another human life.

"I'm sure you may want to consider it after you've heard options two and three." he told me.

"No." I said. "It's not the baby's fault that this happened to me. I will not end his or her life before it even begins." I stated.

"Okay. Just try to keep it in mind until you've heard the others." he said.

I nodded.

"Option two, you could go through the month long pregnancy and have a natural delivery. That consists of the child using his teeth to tear himself out of you. If that's the case then you probably won't live through that." He said solemnly.

I looked at his face. It was so sad. Almost as if, option two was the one he didn't what me to make. I knew, though, if it came down to my death or the baby's, I would choose mine. I've already had the chance to live. It was his turn.

"Option three," Edward continued. "I could deliver the baby for you. Then, with luck, I could get enough venom in you to save you."

"You mean, you'd make me one of you?" I asked.

He nodded. I paused for a minute. I couldn't do that. I couldn't betray my family by becoming the very thing that killed them. I already felt terribly guilty for being with Edward the way I was. I couldn't go as far as becoming on of them. Then again, I couldn't just kill my child. He was as much a part of me as he is Jasper's. Option two sounded the best right now but I just couldn't abandon my child. I knew Edward would probably make sure Jasper didn't get his hands on the baby. Still, I couldn't.

All these thoughts began to well up inside my head. I couldn't decide. I had no idea what to do. There were so many reasons that I couldn't decide. I felt the lump building in my throat and the tears blurring my vision.

"I can't...I don't...I..I..."

I couldn't finish a thought and I just broke down right there. Edward wrapped his arms around me whispering, "I'm so sorry." as he stroked my hair. I had forgotten that Alice was in the room until I felt her cold hand rubbing circles on my back. I don't know how long I cried cuddled in Edward's embrace before he said,

"Come in."

I thought that was weird because I didn't hear anyone knock. As the door creaked open, I looked up to see Esme stepping through the door.

"Did I interrupt something?" she asked after looking in my face.

"Kind of." Edward replied. "But it's alright. We were going to talk to you about it soon anyway."

Esme walked over and sat next to Alice on the bed.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

I guessed that's how the family was supposed to be. They could just walk into a room and tell whether or not something was wrong. That's the way my family used to be. I could always gauge the mood of my siblings in the morning the minute I stepped through the door. I sighed as thiniing about them forced me to think about the decision that has to be made.

"We didn't tell the whole truth last night." Edward stated. "Not only has Jasper been raping her but she pregnant."

Esme stared in shock for a moment.

"I have to know if there is a possibility it could be yours." Esme stated staring meaningfully at Edward. "Things would be easier if it was."

"I'm afraid not." Edward said. "We haven't done anything since the first night four months ago. We've tried but she kept stopping me." I felt his cold fingers against my chin. He lifted it so I was staring him in the eye. "Was Jasper the reason you would never let me go further than kissing you?"

I nodded. He kissed my lips briefly before releasing me chin.

"So what are we going to do?" Esme asked.

"She doesn't know yet? I laid out the options for her but the shock caught up with her." Edward answered.

Esme put a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Whatever you decide darling, I'll support you. And don't even worry about the others. We'll deal with them." she said.

I found myself feeling a little better after hearing someone other than Edward say it. The three continued talking as I put my head back in Edward's chest. I guessed it was as good a time as any to consider the three options that I had.

I was abosolutely positively opposed to the first. My child may have been forced upon me but that wasn't the child's fault. I refused to punish him. I was highly considering the second. It would give my child the chance to live but I'd be doing right by my family.

That thought brought me up short. Hadn't I spent three months trying to do what's right by them? Wasn't I in this position because I did what was right by them? Aside from that, I had sacrificed my chance to go to college. I gave up my fiance to take care of them. I gave up everything to make sure they were happy and had what they needed. Wasn't it my turn to be happy? I gave up so much for them. Wasn't it time I took some back? I knew they would want me to be happy, regardless of what I did. Honestly, if I chose option three, I'd have nothing to feel guilty over. I gave up a good chance for something like this to make sure they had what they needed. I had another chance for the happiness I gave up. It would be stupid to give it up again.

Besides, I didn't think it was right by my baby to abandon him or her anyway. I remember how Mike and Mia would've had to grow up without knowing their mother. I couldn't do that to my child.

There was also Bella and Jasper to consider. They wanted to see me come out of this defeated. If I chose options one or two wouldn't that mean that I would be defeated. I refused to give them that satisfication. I had to come out of this alive, if only to prove to those two that I couldn't be squashed. I knew what my only option was.

I raised my head and looked at Edward.

"Yes, love?" he said surprised by my move.

"If I chose option three, it would be your venom, right?" I asked

"Yes." he nodded.

"Then I want to go with option three." I confirmed.

"Are you sure?" he questioned. "Once it's done, you can't change your mind."

I nodded.

"Okay but since that's the case. I'm going to need to ask you to do something." he stated. "I feel terrible for having to ask this of you but it's the only way the baby will survive. Being part vampire, the baby will thrive on blood. It won't be the only thing you could digest but it's the only way to keep the human food down. When Bella was pregnant with Nessie, Carlisle was able to us his connections at the hospital to get some donor blood for her. I don't think he'd be as willing this time."

"You want me to drink blood?" I asked.

It didn't sound as bad saying it as thinking it. My stomach didn't seem to object too much either. I was surprised by the easy way the phrase flowed out and a little scared. Then again this was no longer bout me. It was about what was best for the baby. If that meant I had to drink human blood then so be it.

"It's the only way to insure you both survivie the pregnancy." Edward said. "I wish there was another way."

"Don't. My baby needs it." I said. "I'll do it."

"But you'd have to use it from the other girls here." Edward said.

My stomach dropped. I was hoping I wouldn't have to actually come into contact with the person. Before I got the chance to say anything, Alice addressed Edward,

"That's a lot to ask her." she said. "Is there anyway we can get the donor blood?"

Edward shook his head.

"Wait," Esme stated. "What about Garfunkel? Wouldn't he have some connections?"

"I forgot about him." Edward said. "We could ask him. Would you prefer that?"

I nodded.

"Esme can you go down and disucss the possibility with him. Tell him that if we have to pay, we will. It doesn't matter how much. And it might not hurt for him to mention the name Cullen." Edward stated. It sounded like he was embarrassed to be using it. Then he turned his attention back to me. "It may take awhile to get here. You may have to use the girls before it comes."

"Okay but can you ask Garfunkel to draw the blood from the girls and bring it to me in a glass or something? I don't think I could do it if they were sitting in front of me." I answered.

"Of course." Edward replied. "Now, Alice and I have to go down and take care of our divorces. Esme, if you could go see Garfunkel while we're meeting with the others. We'll have a family meeting when we finish."

"Should I be down there for that?" I asked.

"No." he answered as he stood up from the bed. "I don't think that will help. Besides, if you're done there and they try to go after you, It'll be harder to stop them. At least up here, they have a door to slow their pace." He kissed the top of my head. "I will do everything in my power to protect you and your baby."

He kissed my lips, then, to my surprise he leaned down and kissed my stomach.

"I love you." he said as he followed Esme and Alice out the door.

"I love you too." I whispered as he shut the door.

I was left alone to contemplate whether or not, I was strong enough to make it through the next month.

**A/N: I'm sorry for the delay in the chapter. Between my job and rehearsal for the Crucible, I'm surprised I have time to breathe. We're getting down to crunch time on the Crucible so forgive me if my updates are little longer than usual. I apologize in advance. Also, would you guys like to see this chapter from Edward's P.O.V. I really need to know because I'm not sure. **_**Please Review!!**_


	19. Family No More

**EDWARD**

Esme hurried down to Garfunkel ahead of us. Alice and I walked side by side down the stairs. Her thoughts had once again taken the depressing route. I could kill Jasper for making her feel like this. I placed my arm around her shoulders and she laid her head on mine.

"I wish you would stop thinking those things. Like I said last night, he the one that doesn't deserve you." I told her. "You deserve a thousand times better than someone who would sleep around with your best friend and sisters. It's his lose not yours."

"It doesn't feel like it." she said.

"I know but give it time and it will." I told her.

"I know. It just really hurts to know how long they'd been doing it."

"I know. But we don't need them. We've got each other."

"You know, you're the best big brother a girl could ask for."

"It helps that you're the best sister a guy could ask for."

She laughed. Her thoughts suddenly went to happy things. I saw iamgines of her playing with a little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked nearly identical to Kari.

"I'm guessing you'er hoping for another niece?" I said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I suppose I am." she replied.

"Does it bother you?" I asked. "That she's having Jasper's baby, I mean?"

"Not as much as if it were Bella having the child." Alice said. "Kari never consented to any of it so I really can't complain too much about it. Besides, I really miss having a child around. That fact that it's Jasper's is just that, a fact. Though, from the little I was able to see, the child will end up being more like yours anyway."

"I don't wanna know." I said.

I was enjoying just letting things between Kari and I play out. I didn't want to hear anything Alice saw of our future.

"How do you feel about it anyway?" she asked.

"Confused and little guilty." I answered. My thoughts were swimming with so many thoughts, I didn't even know where to begin.

"Would you care to discuss?" she pressed.

"We don't have enough time."

"They can wait five minutes for us. They owe us that and much more."

She was right. This was something I should probably get out before we discussed it with the rest of the family. I sat down on the landing to the first floor and sighed. She sat beside me.

"I mean I am happy. I'm glad that she decided to have the baby and join us. It's just, I'm not sure if I have the right to be happy. I feel like I might be trying to replace Nessie. I mean, the love I feel for her will never change but I feel like loving another child would be a betrayal to her memory. I don't want to do that."

She smiled gently at me.

"Edward, just because you want to open yourself to another child doesn't mean that you'll love Nessie any less. As your daughter, she'd want you to do what makes her happy. If loving another child as much as you love Nessie makes you happy, she'd want you to do it. Besides, you know how bad she always wanted a brother or a sister. And you remember what you always used to tell her," Alice began.

"If we could give you one, we would." I said. Her words were making sense to me. The memory of my promise to Nessie made me feel a little less guilty about it.

"You have the chance to give her the sibling that she always wanted." Alice continued. "And I know that she's no longer here to enjoy it but I think it might hurt you more if you broke your promise."

"You know, Alice." I said suddenly feeling much better about the situation. "I think you might be right."

She smiled.

"I always am, aren't I?" she said with a small giggle.

"Well, let's get the divorce papers signed so we can get to the _fun _part of the day." I said.

We both rose and continued on our way to Carlisle's study. I stopped outside the door and knocked.

"Come in." he said.

I opened the door and let Alice step through the door first. I didn't even bother to try to get inside anyone's head. Bella had every except Alice shielded. Bella, Jasper, and Carlisle were already seated. Bella was in the furtherest chair from the left with Jasper on her right. There were two empty chairs on Jasper's right

"Have a seat." Carlisle said and gestured to the chairs next to Jasper.

I sat in the one next to Jasper wanting so badly to strangle him as Alice's thoughts took another depressing dive. She sat in the seat next to me. I noted Jasper had Bella's hand clasped in his. I resisted the urge to rip both hands off.

"Okay," Carlisle continued. "Since I didn't want to make a big spectacle of this and there's plenty of everything to go around, I decided to just have you guys split everything in half. Cars, money, etc. It would make the whole proccess quicker and we'd get out of it without the four of you killing eachother."

The four of us murmured our agreement. I felt Alice and I should get more than half because the other two would be sharing the halves. I knew, however that the next part of the day would be easier if I didn't anger them.

"Now, all I need is a few signatures from each of you." Carlisle finished.

"I was hoping we could have a meeting after we're done here. There is something we need to discuss." I said as the papers made their way around the four of us.

"Of course." Carlisle said.

We finished siging the papers and Carlisle lead us to the dining room. Esme was waiting in her usual spot. The rest of us took our seats where we were last night.

To say I was scared was an understatement. I honestly haven't felt like this since Bella told me she thought she was pregnant with Nessie. It was actually worse this time.

Like last time, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. The big difference was, despite my promises, I had no idea if I could keep Kari and the baby safe. What if they got upstairs before I did?

_"You better say something." _I heard Alice say mentally.

I took a breath.

"I didn't tell you guys the whole truth last night." I said, my voice coming out cold and detached. I wasn't speaking to my family, I was speaking to my coven. That thought made me sad. "I didn't want to make things worse. The affair only came out last night because we found out that Kari was pregnant."

"What?!" Bella yelled. "You'd better be getting rid of it."

"I gave her that choice but she said no. She wants to have the baby." I said. I didn't add on the rest. Let them get over the shock.

"No, I want it destroyed." Jasper rose. "If you don't do it, I will."

I growled.

"You don't have a say in that, Jasper." I said. "You didn't give her a choice on whether or not to get pregnant so it's your turn not to have a choice."

"To hell, I don't have a say. Whether I gave her the choice or not, I'm still the father." Jasper countered.

"Hardly. Your willingness to give the baby up just proves that you aren't. The fact that you would even be willing to risk putting a human through that proves that you aren't." I argued.

"How is what I did to Kari any different from what you used to do to the other humans?" he asked.

"I learned from my mistake. As much as I love Nessie and don't regret that we had her, I saw the pain Bella went through during the pregnancy. I would never put anyone through that again. Which is why I used a condom every time. I forgot the first and only time with Kari. I just got lucky there but I will never forgive myself. That Jasper is the difference."

"Calm down both of you." Carlisle stated. "I have to agree with them Edward. Think of how hard it's going to be to have that reminder around here. You have to think of the way this would effect the family later."

"Wow, Carlisle." I said. "I would think of the family but the thing is, we haven't been a family since Rosalie and Emmett died. We've just been a coven. So no, that defense isn't going to work."

Carlisle opened his mouth but Bella cut him off.

"So if she wants to have the baby, are you just going to let her die?" she asked.

I shook my head. I knew a Bella rant was on the way.

"So I wasn't good enough to become one of you right away. You fought to find excuses to get me to want to stay human but you're going to change this one without a second thought." Bella yelled.

"Because we don't have much of a choice." I told her. "You always had the choice. I always hoped you would change your mind because I would never wish this life on anyone. So it's either this or her life or the baby's."

"I think we'd all be better off if she were dead. Maybe, I'll go solve that problem now." Bella stated.

"Keep your hands off of her!" I growled at her.

"Once again, calm down!" Carlisle growled. "As head of this coven, I say we get rid of the child. If that means killing the human then so be it."

"What happened to you, Carlisle?" I said still amazed. "You always chose killing as a last result. I mean Esme, myself, Emmett, and Rosalie are all products of innocent lives that you didn't want to see lost. But here you are saying kill an innocent girl and her child." I shook my head unable to believe how much he had changed.

"I'm thinking about everyone here, Edward. It would be too much of a reminder of what we last to have another half blood child around here. I need to look at everyone's well being."

"No." I growled. "She didn't have a choice in this! If anyone should die, it should be Jasper! He did this to her. I won't let you touch her!"

"Look, Edward, this is my house and I'm in charge here. This is going to happen the way I say and if anyone doesn't like it , there's the door." he stated.

"That's where you're wrong, Carlisle!" Esme yelled. I didn't htink I've ever heard her yell like that "If you remember correctly, this house was a gift from you to me. I think it was supposed to but my , it's my name on the deed and all the bills are addressed to me. So technically, it's my house. So this is how we're going to do things, Kari is going to have that child and become one of us. So anyone who doesn't like that can leave." she said.

I could see how hard it was for her to say this. She was very motherly, it must be killing her to tell them to agree with her or leave. I never thought she'd ever give any of us that ultimatum. She was to kind and loving for this. Maybe, the war had changed her. Maybe it made her strong enough to do what needed to be done at this moment.

"So Bella, what do you want to do?" Esme continued.

"I won't live with it. I can't." she said.

"Fine!" Esme responded. "Jasper?"

"If Bella goes, I go." he stated with a shrug.

"Fine." she took a breath. "Carlisle?"

"I can't live in a house with the reminder of the grandchild, I lost." Carlisle responded. "So I suppose, I'm leaving. I'll have our divorce papers sent over."

"Fine."

I noticed her anger ebb away and was replaced with sadness. A divorce was the one thing that she tried to keep him from resorting to. She knew that if the two of them fell apart then there definately wasn't a hope for us to stay a family.

"You have an hour to pack and get out." she said quietly. "And if any of you touches Kari, I'll tear you apart myself."

Carlisle, Jasper, and Bella headed to their rooms to pack their things. I stared at Esme for a minute. She still looked furious but I could see the sadness coming. It was over, the Cullens finally lost everything. The family was no more. I could tell it was killing her. I felt so guilty. I didn't want her to have to do that.

"Thank you so much, Esme." I whispered and threw my arms around her. "I'm so sorry, you had to do that."

"The four of us are still a family. We have to stand up for each other. Kari can't stand up for herself, yet. Someone had to do it for her." Esme said her voice cracking.

"I love you, mom." I choked out.

"I love you too." she whispered.

She held out her arm for Alice to come join us. Alice curled herself into the hug without difficulty. We stood there for a few a moments. I pulled away to head upstairs.

I hit the first step and realized, I waited too long. There was the sound of a door crashing apart. Then I heard her helpless, scared scream,

"Edward!"

**A/N: Cliffy, woot! I love those. Let me know what you think. **_**I LOVE REVIEWS!!!!!!!!**_


	20. Broken Promise

**EDWARD**

The scream was more of a strangled cry but coming from my human's (A/N: That's supposed to be an affectionate thought) lips, it sounded like a scream. I raced up the stairs, using my vampire speed, with Alice and Esme on my heels.

When we reached the door, I noticed it was nothing more than a bunch of tiny splinters on the floor. I panicked when I stepped in and saw my bed was empty. My first thought was that whoever it was had already escaped with her. I relaxed when I heard a whimper behind me. I turned to see her standing with Jasper behind her.

He had her arms pinned, tightly, between his stomach and her back. His left hand was snaked around her waist holding her to him. His right hand was around her throat. He had applied just enough pressure for her to fear the loss of air. She was staring at me with tears in her eyes. I noticed her whole body was trembling with fear.

"Jasper, just let her go." I said slowly.

I didn't dare get any closer. He could've snapped her neck if he wanted to.

"I don't think so." he said. "You see, I haven't quite finished with her yet."

I wondered where Bella was. For some reason it felt important that I found that out. I tried to see it in Jasper's head but he was only thinking about the things he'd done to Kari. I saw images of her crying and pleading for him to stop. I saw her on her knees with tears in her eyes as he forced her to suck his cock. I wished I could've thrown up.

"Stop it." I growled.

He smirked.

"Don't worry. That's not the worst of it." Jasper said. "And I can garuntee, once we take care of her little problem." He reached his hand under her shirt and laid it gently on the small bump. "The images will be much worse."

"Please don't hurt my baby." Kari pleaded, letting a few tears fall.

Jasper leaned down to her and whispered,

"Hush." She visibly flinched as he purposefully let his lips graze her ear lobe.

I resisted the attack him. I knew that he could kill her in half the time it took me to get to him. I didn't want to risk that. I felt so helpless. He was going to take her away from me and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

"It should be about time for us to go." he whispered and once again brushed his lips against her earlobe. She flinched again. "And Edward, if I so much as catch a hint of your scent on our trail, I'll kill her on the spot. And as for what'll happen if you happen to find us, just imagine those memories of mine being a thousand times worse."

With that, he flipped Kari over his shoulder and jumped out the second story window. I ran to the window to see what direction he was headed. Even with my vampire speed, I didn't make it before he disappeared into the forest that surrounded the house.

"Damn it!" I yelled putting my fist through the wall. I slid to the floor feeling helpless. "It's all my fault."

"No, Edward." Esme who was at my side in a millisecond. "No, it's not." She wrapped her arms around me.

"I shoud've never brought her here. I should've gave into temptation the first time I tasted her blood." I said.

"Don't you dare think that!" Alice yelled as she knelt beside me. "Look at what she's done for you. She's turned you back into the man you used to be. She helped you through the dark time. She's the reason you can think about your daughter withouot remembering her suffering."

"Yeah, and how do I repay her?" I said. "I let my pshycotic brother and ex-wife get their hands on her! I broke my promise!"

"We'll find her." Esme said. "Even if that means searching every house Carlisle owns."

"Esme, he owns a house in every state. Do you know how long that will take?" I denoted. "Besides, whether or not we find her, I broke my promise. We'll never make it to her before the kill the baby."

"I know." Esme whispered. "But we still might be able to save her."

"If we can find her." I said pessimistically.

"We will find her." Esme said as she held me tighter. "_We will." _

I prayed that she was right.

**KARI**

As Jasper ran through the forest, I kicked my feet and pounded my fists into his back. It, of course, had no effect. I was also screaming and pleading with him to take me back to Edward. He ignored me as he continued to run. I forced myself to ignore than pains that were shooting through my stomach.

Edward had told me when Bella was pregnant, the pain increased with her stressed level. The baby was reacting to my fear. It's he or she knew there was something wrong. I hoped he or she didn't know how much was wrong.

Finally, Jasper stopped running and threw me not to gently on the ground. My head throbbed as it connected with the hard ground. I somehow managed to stay concious. Pain was still shooting through my stomach. I tried my best to hide it. I didn't want him to see my pain and use it as an advantage.

I lifted my head of the floor to take in my surroundings. We were on the edge of the forest by a small road. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest and we waited. After five minutes, a yellow porsche pulled to the side of the road. I jumped when I heard the trunk pop. The driver side door opened and closed.

It wasn't until the person who stepped out of the car, came around to the back, did I realize that it was Bella. She reached in the trunk and pulled out a roll of duct tape. She tossed it to Jasper.

At that moment, my stomach lurched and I found myself getting violently sick on the ground beside me. As I was throwing up, I barely registered Jasper, taping my feet together with several layers of the duct tape.

When I recovered, Bella grabbed me by the hair and yanked forcing me to look at her.

"Don't worry." she said in a dangerous tone. "In a few hours, you won't have to worry about that anymore."

She released my hair. I wrapped my arms protectively around my stomach. Jasper laughed and pulled them behind my back with ease. After wrapping those in layers of the duct tape, he placed a piece over my mouth. He lifted me of the ground effortlessly then placed me not to gently in the trunk. My head hit something hard and this time, I allowed the darkness to take me.

**A/N: For those of you who didn't understand, Bella** **and Jasper planned this. Bella was in charge of the getaway and Jasper had to do the kidnapping. And yes, it is Alice's porsche that Bella stole. Also, I'm not sure I'm spelling porsche right. I'm to tired to go look right now. Anyway, I hope you like. **_**REVIEW OR FLYING MONKEYS WILL EAT YOU WHILE YOU SLEEP!!! J/K BUT I DO ENJOY GETTING FEEDBACK.**_


	21. Useless

**KARI**

When I woke, I was laying on a stone cold floor. My hands and feet were still wrapped in the duct tape. The had removed the piece across my mouth. I didn't understand why. I sat up, with difficulty, to take in my surroundings. From the look of things, I was lying at the bottom of a staircase. The door at the top was shut. I repositioned myself to look behind me. I found myself staring around a pretty big room. The emptiness of it made it seem eerie.

Once I established that I was in a basement somewhere, I took inventory of myself. I was still wearing the camisole and sweatpants that I had on when Jasper took me. I thanked god that it was all still in one piece. I looked my arms over the best I could. I didn't see any hints of being bruised or anything. My head was throbbing slightly. I figured that was from whatever I hit in the car. I was satisifed that I was unharmed but there was one other person I was worried about.

As if in answer to my thoughts, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my stomach. It was worse than the others and I couldn't help but cry out in pain. I knew it was a mistake when the door came open and I saw three sets of cold black eyes staring down at me. I gulped as Bella, Jasper, and Carlisle made their way down the stairs. I tried to to push myself back away from them. The all let out chuckles as they continued toward me.

Jasper was the first to reach me. He grabbed me by the upper arm and yanked off the ground.

"Finally awake, I see." He whispered. I felt his lips brush across my ear. A shiver went down my spine. I felt him smirk into my neck.

"Please just leave me alone." I cried.

Bella smirked and walked toward me.

"We can do that." she sneered. "You see, human, I don't think it's right that you can get away with having the very thing the I lost."

She laid a cold hand on my stomach.

"Besides," she continued. "Edward and the others need to learn the punishment for turning their backs on this family. And you're just the tool we need for that."

"Should we get this over with?" Carlisle asked. "Or do you want to play a bit first?"

My heart began pounding in my chest.

"Please, don't kill the baby. Let it kill me then you can have it!" I begged unable to control the tears.

I struggled to pull away from Jasper but it wasn't much of a fight.

"As tempting as that offer is," Bella replied. "I'd rather not raise the child of a slut."

"Let's get rid of the thing first." Jasper said in my ear. "That's sure to be entertaining."

I struggled as Jasper pulled me up the stairs. The other two following. I kicked and struggled knowing that it was useless. I knew the death of my baby was inevitable but I wasn't going to give up without a fight. No matter how impossible it was to win.

They dragged me through the house. I barely took anything in but I did notice that it looked lived in. I knew we hadn't here that long. Maybe, this was somewhere they went when they needed to get away from each other. Or maybe even when Jasper and Bella wanted to have uninteruptted alone time.

I struggled the whole time. Jasper chuckled. After awhile, he got sick of fighting me and through me over his shoulder. We went up a couple more flights of stairs. I closed my eyes praying that someone would come and save me and my baby.

I opened them back up when Jasper through me down on an uncomfortable bed. I heard the door shut and lock. I looked around the room and found it was set up much like a hospital room. I was laying on an uncomfortable hospital bed. There were several machines around the room. I didn't even know the names of half of them.

Carlisle walked over to me a began to peel the tape of my legs. I held still for that, knowing it would only give me an advantage. Once both were free and Carlisle made to force them apart, I began to struggle again. I aimed a few useless kicks at him. My hands were useless still taped up behind my back. I just kept kicking out as the three vampires tried to hold me down. I was surprised that they were actually struggling to keep my legs pinned down.

I guess the whole mother lifting a car off her child theory applied here. I was putting up the biggest fight of my life for my baby. I mean, I fought for the ones I loved before but never to this intensity. This was my flesh and blood growing inside me. I'd do everything in my power to keep my baby from getting hurt or killed.

I felt Jasper trying to send me waves of calm as I continued to fight. I refused to allow them to get through. I let them bounce off of me.

"You may have to sedate her." Jasper said to Carlisle. He felt that his powers were having no effect on me.

"You're right." Carlisle answered.

"And I so badly wanted to this with her awake." Bella commented darkly as she continued to try and hold my leg in place.

I saw Carlisle filling a syringe with something. I pulled away slightly as he touched my arm. He smirked as he forced the needle in, not very gently either. I cried out as the pain shot through me arm. As I watched the liquid leave the syringe and enter my body, my vision began to blur and I felt like I was floating.

After a minute, I felt all the muscles in my body relax as I faded back into the darkness.

**ALICE**

"God damn it!" I flinched when I heard Edward curse yet again.

This was the third house we searched in the twenty four hours since Jasper had taken Kari. We found nothing in each one. No furniture or anything to indicate that someone had lived there or was current;y living there. I felt so useless. I couldn't even get a vision of where the I turned up with when I looked was nothing.

I preferred trying to see the werewolves and Nessie. At least with them, I got blackness to look at. I knew that someone was with one of them and what not. But I didn't even get that when Kari was involved with the future. It's like I couldn't access her future period. I'd only been able to do it twice. The first time, I saw nothing but blackness. I assumed that was the baby. The second time, I saw Edward on one knee sliding a ring on her left hand. He didn't want me to tell him about that one. I liked that he wanted to see things play out.

I wish I could be more help to both of them now. I knew how bad the anger and guilt was eating him up inside. He wanted to save her but he didn't know how. And I could only imagine the pain they were putting Kari through now.

The fact that I coudn't see anything more about her future was driving me insane. In this time of need, I understand Edward's frustration with his inability to read Bella's and Kari's mind. It doesn't help in dire situation like this. What was worse? Edward couldn't even catch her scent. The war had made everyone good at covering their tracks. So our senses were utterly useless to us now.

"Where to next?" Edward asked as he walked back into the living room.

"We could try going back to Forks." Esme suggested. "He did keep the house, the way it was."

"But do you think they'd be stupid enough to go there. They'd know it'd probably be one of the first places we went too." Edward replied.

"It's worth a look." I piped up. "We need to explore all our options right now."

"I know." Edward said. "I just don't like finding these dead ends. And what if were on the wrong path. I mean, there's been so many secrets lately, what if Carlisle bought a place that we don't know about. How are we supposed to find her then?"

Once again, I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. Why couldn't I see her? Was I losing my vision?

"Alice, don't." Edward said. "It's just a fact that there are some people are immune to our powers. It's not your fault."

"But I saw her once, Edward." I said. "It doesn't make sense."

"I know but we have to just focus on finding her. Then we'll figure out the rest." Edward said.

I nodded. I heard Esme talking to our personal pilot. She was making arrangements for him to pick us up at the local airport in twenty minutes. We would be flying to Forks, Washington overnight. This was one of the advantages to being a Cullen right now. We got where we needed as quickly as possible.

I pushed away my low self esteem and allowed it to be replaced with hope. It was hard thinking, they'll be at the next one only to find that they weren't. Hope, however was the only thing we had right now.

**A/N: I hope this one turned out okay. I didn't have a plan before I sat to type it. I just started and let it flow on it's own. I'm not sure how they would go about getting rid of the baby. That is why I had them sedate her. **_**REMEMBER THE FLYING MONKEYS WHO WILL EAT YOU IF YOU DON'T REVIEW. **_


	22. Closure

**EDWARD**

I always thought there was no place in heaven for creatures like me. My point has been proven time and again in the last six years. First with the deaths of the pack and Nessie. Then the war and losing Rosalie and Emmett. We lost the humanity that we fought so hard to gain. And when I've finally found someone to help me get that back, we gave to lose her too. What's worse? Her baby will probably die before he or she ever has the chance to live.

I only hope that that God takes pity on the baby's soul. It wasn't his fault how he was concieved, just like it wasn't Nessie's. I still prayed everyday that Nessie was in heaven looking down on us, even though, I know she's not proud of what she's been seeing. All the same, nobody deserves heaven more than that sweet and beautiful girl. I also hoped the changes I've been making are helping her to see me as the man I used to be. I hope that she's proud of the changes I've been making.

I had forgotten how hard it was to think about my sweet girl. It was even harder when I was standing in our old home in Forks. I stared out the back window at the forest where we used to take Nessie hunting or Jacob would chase her around. I needed to go to the cottage. It was the closest place I could get to her. I knew, though, that finding Kari should be the priority. Still, there was a part of me that wanted a few minutes with my daughter.

_"Go." _I heard Esme's thoughts before I felt her hand on my shoulder. "There's nothing here. Alice and I will finish up."

"No." I said. "We need to move to the next house. Who knows what they've done to her."

"You need to go there. You need that closure. Kari'll understand." Esme pressed.

"But what if they kill her because I take too long?" I questioned. "I don't think I could live with myself."

"They won't kill her." Esme said. "I know the new Bella well enough to know she'd want to wait until we find them to kill her. She knows that's what would hurt you the worst."

I cringed to think about what mine and Bella's relationship had become. There was a time when we couldn't live without the other but now, we were doing everything in our power to hurt each other. How did we get to this point? I just didn't understand.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked.

"Even if I wasn't, you still need this." Esme insisted. "We haven't been here since the night she died. You need to go back to that house."

I knew she was right. I knew I needed to talk to my daughter, if only, to apologize for what I had to do. I nodded to Esme and took off out the door. As I ran to the forest, I distinctly smelled gasoline. It was my idea to burn every house we'd already searched. This was atually for two reason. The first was to cover our scent with the burnt smell. It made it a little harder to track us. The second was to make sure they couldn't run to the places that we'd already checked.

As I entered the forest, I barely took in my surroundings. I was at the cottage in less than two minutes. I opened the door. We never bothered locking it ever. The memories came back in waves as I stepped in the living room. I remembered the many fights we had with Nessie as she was growing up. She would always plan to sneak out with Jacob but I would catch her thoughts before she could follow through.

I remember how she used to complain about not being normal. She used to tell us that most kids are actually able to do what they get in trouble for. Normal kids didn't have their fathers reading their minds to find out before the had a chance to do anything.

As I continued through the house, the memories continued. It was like this place remmebered things that I had forgotten. I walked by the kitchen and thought of all the mornings Nessie and Jacob ate fruit loops together. Of course, most of the fruit loops ended up on the floor. Jacob was always trying to show off by tossing them up and catching them in his mouth. Nessie, however, would distract him from him his goal leaving both of them with a mess.

I had to force back the dry sob that was trying to escape as I stepped into Nessie's room. It was almost exactly like it was six years ago. The walls were a bright purple and pink with a splash of glitter on them. The queen sized bed was neatly made with only one thin blanket. She didn't need much warmth with Jacob sitting next to her almost every night. I looked to the left of the bed and, of course, there was the rocking chair that used to be in Bella's room pulled right up there close to the bed.

Jacob would sit next to her every night. He would talk to her about the pack and what they were up to every night. The sound of his voice helped her fall asleep. He'd spend a few hours watching her sleep then he'd fall asleep in the rocking chair. I was surprised at how little that bothered me. I was even more surprised at how little it bothered me when he started sleeping in the bed with her. I guess it helped to know that was where the relationship was going from the beginning.

It wasn't until I over heard Nessie thinking about having sex with Jacob did things start to bother me. Bella had to remind me, rather loudly, that I knew all along that things were going to turn into that. I just thought that I would have more time. I never got used to it, even though, I put up with it. Bella did her best to block those thoughts from me.

I walked into the room and sat down in the rocking chair. I stared at the bed for a minute feeling extremely stupid for what I was about to do. I only hoped that she was willing and able to listen.

"Ness, honey, it's daddy." I said. "I hope you can hear. There some things, I need to tell you. First, I wanna tell you how much your mommy and I love you. That's something that has never changed over the years. It's something that will never ever change. I miss you more and more everyday. I'm sorry we weren't able to protect you. I'm just glad Jake and the pack were with you. I will forever be grateful for their sacrifice, even if it was in vain. I know if you can see us now, you aren't proud of what you're seeing. We let our anger and grief get out of control. For that, I'm even more sorry. A very special human, Kari, has been helping me become the man and father I used to be. I'm trying so hard to become the father that made you proud. I regret that I may have to hurt mommy, Uncle Jasper, and Grandpa Carlisle, mybe even kill them. It's not something that I want to do but they've taken Kari and might be hurting her. And Kari means as much to me as you do and as mommy did. If I can get her out of there without hurting any of them I will but they might not leave me with a choice. I hope you can forgive me if i have to hurt them. I suppose that's all I needed to say. I love and miss you so much, baby girl. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive the things I've done that neither of us are proud of. I also hope you can forgive me if I have to hurt the ones we love. It's not something I want to do. If I can avoid it I will. I promise. I love you. I hope you're happy where you are. I hope Jake and the pack's with you. Protecting the way I couldn't."

I finished the speech and my voice cracked a little. I felt better having said all this. It didn't matter that I didn't know if she was listening or not. It just mattered that I said it and got it all off my chest. I stood and gave the room another once over. I had to pass by the dresser to get out the door and something gold caught my eye. I walked to it and found it was the necklace that I had given Nessie for her third birthday.

It was a thin gold chain with a heart shape pendant. Engraved on the pendant were the words "_Daddy's Little Monster."_ That was odd. I could've sworn she was wearing it the night she died.

There were nights when Jacob had pak stuff to do and couldn't put Nessie to sleep. On those nights, Bella would tell her stories about about our relationship. Those were Bella's most distinct human memories. She was determined not to foget them. One night, Bella's story included that I considered myself a monster. The next day, Nessie told me that if I was monster that she was too. I tried to convince her otherwise but she said as long as I was she was. So I started calling her Daddy's Little Monster. She loved it. That's why I decided to give her the necklace.

I picked the necklace up off the dresser and held it between my fingers. I notice a piece of paper. It looked a yellowed and the pen was faded. I got the impression that it was sitting there for awhile. I picked it up. Due to my vampire senses, I could read it with ease.

_Dear Mommy and Daddy, _

_I have a feeling something bad is going to happen. I don't know what it is but Aunt Alice always told me to follow my instincts. And my instincts say that something bad is going to happen to me. Something that not even Jake can protect me from. So there are a few things I want to say, just in case something does happen. _

_First, I love you all very much. I know, I've spent half my life wanting to be normal but the truth is, I wouldn't change what I have for anything normal. I have two wonderful families who love and take care of me. Even with a father who can read minds. I know you only stop my plans to protect me. I'm glad you do. Who knows what kind of trouble I could get into if you didn't. I'm the luckiest abnormal child in the world. I mean, I have two abnormal families to help me feel more normal. I love you all. _

_I also want to remind you that everything happens for a reason. Just look at mommy and Jake's relationship. The whole time it was leading Jake to me. You may not understand the reasons that things happen but there are reasons. So if something does happen just remember that there was a reason._

_I love all of you so much. I always have and always will. No matter what the future holds. _

_Love, _

_Nessie_

I read it twice but I didn't understand. Did she somehow now all of this was going to happen? Did Alice see it coming and only told Nessie? Or maybe she was preparing for a moment like this. She was always such a smart girl.

Reading her words made me realize something I'd been thinking for awhile. What if Bella wasn't my real mate? What if for some reason I met her when I wasn't supposed to? What if everything that happened with her and Nessie was only leading me to Kari?

I knew after reading them that Nessie would forgive if I had to hurt Bella. It was like she knew to forgive me all those years ago. Before any of this happened. She somehow knew it was going to come to this.

Suddenly, I smelled something burning. I knew it was time to go. I folded the note and stuck it in the back pocket of my jeans then put the necklace around my neck. Then ran out the front door towards the towering pillar of smoke.

When I got back, I saw Alice and Esme leaning against our "borrowed" car. Neither of them said anything as I stodd in between them. We stood in silence, watching the best memories of our existence burn to the ground.

**A/N: I hope this chapter doesn't seem too out of place. I thought Edward could use a little closure with Nessie's death. Then I thought Forks and the cottage would be the best place. It wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. I planned it out two days ago but forgot some things. **_**Remember the flying monkeys!!!!!! Review!!!!!!!!!!!!**_


	23. Offer

**KARI**

I woke with a pounding headache. I was once again on the floor of the basement. My heads and feet were free. It took a couple seconds for my memory to catch up with me. When it did, my hand fluttered to my stomach. I started sobbing as soon as a realized the bump that was my child was no longer there.

I rolled to my side and curled into the fetal position. I continued to sob until I heard the basement door open. I looked up to see Bella standing at the top. She had her hands crossed over her chest and there was a twisted smile on her face.

"Good morning, sunshine." she said with fake cheer. She walked down the stairs and stood in front of me. "Sit up. We need to talk."

I remained on the ground in the same position. I wasn't going to give into her that easily.

"Do we have to do this the hard way?" she asked.

I didn't respond or move. She grabbed a fist full of my hair and yanked me up into a sitting position. I let out small whimper of pain because it was unexpected. I didn't give her the satisfaction of a bigger response.

"Now, listen and listen well because this could save your life." she said keeping the hair clamped in her fist. She pulled back enough to make sure I was looking at her face.

"Obviously, I have no choice but to listen." I said vemon (not literally) dripping from my voice. She yanked a little harder causing me to flinch.

"I was really hoping this conversation would end without you getting hurt." she said.

"And why would you want that? I thought you took so much pleasure in my pain?" I retorted.

"Not your pain dear. Only Edward's pain. And hurting you hurts Edward. I could careless about you if you didn't mean so much to him." she clarified. "The is, though, I've found a way that would make everyone happy."

"I doubt that." I snapped.

She backhanded me. The force would've knocked me to the floor if she wasn't still holding my hair. I felt the pain as she yanked my head back to face her. By some miracle, I didn't make a sound.

"If you value your life, you'll shutup and listen." she said through gritted teeth. I stared at her to scared to speak. "Now, the thing is, you are a very gifted human. It seems that you are immune to the mental powers of vampires, just like me. Your immunity, however, is a little more advanced than mine. You can block the physical ones too. From what I hear, Alice has only been able to see your future twice. And I've witnessed first hand how easily you throw off Jasper's powers. And I've never seen a human strong enough to need sedated to be overtaken by one vampire, let alone three."

I didn't really understand where she was going with this. I knew I could do these things. I thought it was all just a product of my refusal to submit. It felt like something anyone could do if the wanted to.

"What are you getting at?" I asked my voice shaking slightly. She gave me a small sneer.

"I'm saying, Edward didn't have a bad idea when it came to changing you. I mean, with a little training, you could could be stronger and more powerful than even me. You could help us get rid of Edward, Alice, and Esme and anyone else who dares to try and stop what we've started." she explained.

"I fail to see how I would benefit from this?" I said.

"You'll get to live and you'll enhance your gifts." she explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "What do you say?"

"I would never betray Edward that way. Not after everything he and the others have done for me. Especially, after what you and Jasper have done to me. I'd rather die." I said. Why would she even think that I would go for that?

She released my hair and began pacing. By the look on her face, I could tell she was rethinking her strategy.

"He doesn't even care, you know? If he did, he'd have found you by now. He was just being nie because he felt guilty putting you through everything that he did." she finally said.

"Edward loves me." I said back.

"I thought he loved me too." she said. Her sadness sounded almost sincere. Only, I knew her to well to believe it. "And look what became of that."

"He did love you!" I yelled. "It was your own fucking bitterness that drove him away!"

She backhanded me again. This time I hit the floor. Thankfully, my hands hit the ground first, slowly the impact when my head hit.

"You don't know anything!" she yelled.

"I know how guilty he feels for that night! I know how you blame him because there isn't anyone else to blame!" I sat up slowly as I continued yelling, "But I have news for you, Isabella, this isn't anyone's fault! It just is! If she stayed with you that night, it still would've happened! Only, all of you would've died trying to protect her! Then she would've died anyway!"

"Shutup!" Bella yelled kicking me in the stomach a couple times.

I heard a cracking noise and felt pain in my rib cage. She stopped for a minute. I could tell, as I clutched the possibly broken rib, that she was trying to calm herself.

"Well, maybe a few days with Jasper and no food will persuade you to see things my way." she finally said. "In fact, I think I'll send him down as soon as he gets back from his hunt."

She smiled then headed back upstairs. I laid back down trying not to think of the pain in my ribs. I felt the tears begin to fall. I wouldn't give in. No matter what they said or did. I owed Edward that much. He did what he could to protect me from them. Now it was my turn to protect him from the pain Bella was trying to bring him.

Because, I now knew her true motive for wanting to change me. She knew that turning me against him would be the worst way to hurt him. I take the worst kind of pain in the world to save him from Bella's plans.

"Do your worst." I whispered. "I won't be broken."

**A/N: I'm sorry, it's so short. Today was the second day of tech. week for the Crucible. And it's taking most of my energy right now. I hope you like what I've done. **_**REMEMBER THE FLYING MONKEYS AND CLICK THE LITTLE PURPLISH BLUE BOX TO REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**_

**Next chapter: Jasper's attempt to persuade Kari. **


	24. Refusal

**KARI**

I laid on the floor thinking. I refused to even consider what Bella proposed. I wouldn't let her hurt Edward that way. She had already hurt him enough for three lifetimes. He didn't deserve that.

I did breifly consider doing it then, after some training, tearing all three of them into tiny little pieces. That was until I recalled everything Alice and Edward had told me about newborns. It was possible that I could be like Bella. We were alike in so many ways.

The thing with Bella's tranformation was that she seemed to skip right over being a newborn. She had all kinds of amazing self control. The family never figured out exactly why or how it happened that way. It was too much of a gamble for me to hang my hopes on that. I wouldn't be any better if I killed a bunch of inoccent humans after killing other monsters like me.

I would just have to take what they did to me until the others could find me. I prayed they could.

I thought instead about my family. I wondered what would've happened if I didn't give up everything for them. Would they still have lived? Would Edward have taken any of them? Would I be laying in a cold basement waiting for Edward? Would we still be willing to give our lives for one another? This was the biggest question that burned in my head.

I thought about the Cullens. I remembered the stories of how close they once were. Then they lost Nessie and everything fell apart. It took years for it to get all the way over but it did. Would the loss of our mother have pulled us apart they way Nessie's loss tore the Cullens apart? I knew the subject was completely irrelevant but considering the circumstances, it was the best way to distract myself.

The pain in my rib was down to a dull throb but if I moved the wrong way or too suddenly then it shot through my entire body. I wasn't sure how long I laid before I heard the basement door open again. I looked up to see Jasper making his way down the stairs. I pushed myself into a sitting position, against the wall, as slowly as possible. I forced myself not to react to the pain.

Jasper walked down the stair and to my side. He walked at human pass with a look of amusement on his face. He seemed to be enjoying my struggle. Finally, he kneeled next to me.

"Bella tells me that she told you our proposal." he said.

"Did she also tell you what I said?" I responded.

"Yes, and I'm hoping we can change that." he stated.

"And how do you hope to accomplish this goal?"

He smirked and looked my body up and down. I didn't need him to say it. I knew what he was planning to do.

"Wow, you guys need to work on your persuasion skills." I said. "Because raping me isn't going to change my mind."

"Oh, I know it won't." He said leaning towards me and kissing my neck. I shivered. "But the only reason why we do it is because you're a human. You're beneath us. And your only purpose is to serve and entertain us. If you became one of us then we'd have no more reason to hurt you."

Then he brought his lips to mine with a bruising force. I reached my hands up and tried to push him off. I knew it wouldn't do no good but I had to try to fight. He simply grabbed my wrist, squeezing them, and slid his tongue in mouth when I gasped in pain. I forced back the bile as I felt his tongue move around my mouth. I refused to kiss him back. Finally, he left my mouth and began trailing kisses down my neck. I felt his teeth graze my neck and I flinched.

"You know, I could just bite you now and give you no choice." he said between kisses.

"You could but," I replied my voice shaking. "Then you couldn't be positive that I was on your side. There'd be no garuntee that I would kill all three of you. Edward did tell me that newborns were stronger than other vampires."

He stopped the kisses, still holding my wrists, and looked at me.

"Did my dear brother also tell you that, I'm an expert at killing newborns. I could have you in a pile a limbs, faster than you could even look at Bella." He smirked.

"But you wouldn't want to waste the talent. Which is why you won't force me. Besides, Bella would want to wait to kill me until Edward finds me. You wouldn't want to deny her that, would you?"

I saw his expression go from smug and haughty to angry. He stood and yanked me up with him. He threw me against a wall and brought his lips down on mine once more. I didn't fight him or give him any kind of response. I refused to give him the satisfaction. He held my hands tightly in his above my head.

His lips moved from my lips to my neck again. A shiver went down my spine. One of fear not pleasure. I fought against him but I refused to beg. I would not allow him to get a verbal response from me. However, I refused to give in without a fight. He continued down my neck to my shirt.

When he got there he shifted my hands so he could grasp them both with only one of his. It was just as effective as both. He used his free hand to rip my shirt off then he snapped the straps of my bra with his finger and thumb. He kissed my neck some more as he fondled my left breast. I choked back the sob that wanted to escape. I couldn't stop the tears, though.

He kissed his way down to my right breast taking a few moments to suck on the nipple. The tears wouldn't stop. I wanted to scream and beg but I had to remind myself that's what he wanted me to do.

Once he finished with the nipple, he began kissing and licking the rest of my upper body. He ripped of my sweat pants and panties. I was naked, helpless, and freezing. He trailed his free hand from my breast down my stomach and lightly caressed my. I wanted to throw up again.

"I bet you wish it was Edward doing this, don't you?" he whispered. I didn't say anything. "Answer me."

"Yes." I choked out. It was very true. The only time I did this with Edward was before we realized our feelings. It was before he cared about hurting me. I wanted to know what it felt like to have someone I love doing this. Someone who I wanted to do this with.

He smirked then rammed all four fingers inside me. He pushed them in deeper and harder with every thrust. It took all I had not to cry out. He continued ramming his fingers in and out and began whispering dirty things in my ear. I closed my eyes trying to imagine myself somewhere else. Anywhere else. It was no good. I couldn't make my mind think of other things.

I don't know how long it was before he pulled his fingers out. I opened my eyes to see what he was doing. The was blood on his fingers. Probably from his roughness. Just like the first time, he licked them off. Then I found myself facing the wall. He still held my wrists in one hand. I heard him using the other to undo his own pants.

I let out a small whimper as I realized where this was going. I heard him chuckle once.

"I've always wondered what doing this would feel like?" he whispered in my ear. "Niether Alice nor Bella would let me stick it here."

The tears were coming non stop. Then I felt him ram himself into my arse. I wanted to scream but the pain was so intense that no sound would come out. He continued to whisper dirty things in my ear as he thrust himself in and out. I was openly sobbing as I tried to imagine Edward rushing in and pulling him off of me.

The pain kept bringing me back to the moment. I just wanted it to end. I didn't no how long it lasted but he finally pulled out. When he released my wrists I slid to the floor sobbing. I laid there as he put his clothes back on. Then he grabbed my hair and yanked my head back until I met his eyes.

"Just remember, the sooner you take the offer, the sooner I'll stop doing this to you." He said.

"Then I guess that'll lbe never." I replied.

He forced my head back to the floor releasing my hair.

"Like Bella said, we'll see what a few days without food does to you." he replied. "And I'll be back tomorrow for another round."

He started to walk away.

"Go to hell." I whispered forgetting about his extrasensory hearing.

I don't know how he did it but a second later, I heard the crunching of the bones in my hand. Pain shot through my hand and up my arm. I screamed as I felt him increase the pressure of the foot that was on my head. He removed his foot after a few seconds and smirked.

"Watch your mouth." He said as he walked back up the stairs.

I craddled my broken hand as I curled into a ball. I laid there, naked and freezing, sobbing in anguish.

**A/N: Sorry this took so long. We just opened the show last night and I had to work all day before that. I hope you think it was worth waiting for though. **_**ONCE AGAIN AVOID THE FLYING MONKEYS AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_


	25. Miles from Where You Are

**KARI**

I wasn't sure how long I cried before I dropped into unconciousness. That black state was much easier than being awake and feeling the pain. I wasn't sure how long I'd been out when I started coming to.

I noticed a few things that didn't seem quite right. The first being, the pains in my hand and rib weren't as intense as the had been before. The second was, I was clothed. I opened my eyes to inspect myself.

I was wearing a long sleeve black shirt and a pair of gray sweat pants. Both were a little big on me but I take what I could get. I glanced at the hand the Jasper stepped on. It was in a black cast. My chest felt a little strange so I used my good hand to feelunder my shirt. Someone had taped up the rib. I'd be grateful to whoever did it if it wasn't for the fear of them just hurting me worse.

I sat on the floor and, with nothing better to do, I began thinking more about my current situation. In the back of my mind, I was considering taking the offer. Not because I wanted but because I was sick of waiting for someone to come safe me. Besides, I'd always been one to save myself anyway. For whatever reason, Edward wasn't coming.

Did I believe he wasn't looking for me? No, I refused to believe that. I wouldn't believe anything Bella said to me. He probably wasn't having any luck finding us. I knew who intelligent Bella was and after six years of war, they've all probably learned how to hide effectively. That coupled with the fact that Alice can't see me, it would be almost impossible to find me.

At the same time, though, I worried that I wouldn't be able to control myself without help from Alice, Edward, and Esme. So if I got away from my captors then I might attack innocent humans. That was definatly something I didn't want. Then I'd have to attack humans while I was being trained. The would have to believe that I truly turned on Edward and the others. Quite frankly, after dealing with vampires first hand, I don't think I could willing attack a human if I changed. It would seem semi hypocritical.

I knew I couldn't get anywhere without training. Which made simply running after the trnasformation out of the question. It didn't help that I had no idea where I was or how to get back to Edward. The only logic thing at the time was to try to hold out until Edward and the others found me. I prayed it would be soon. I didn't know how much longer I could keep this up.

I heard the door at the top of the stairs open again. I looked up to see Carlisle walking down the stairs. His look was different from Bella's and Jasper's. They usually had a sick and amused smile when they looked at me. Carlisle's was looked like he was trying not to give anything away.

"Good you're awake." he said as he continued down the stairs. "I wanted to speak to you before Bella and Jasper came back."

"I know what you want and my answer remains the same. I won't do it." I said as he leaned casually against the wall beside me.

"But you haven't even heard what I was going to say." he responded in a mock hurt tone.

"Well, seeing as I'm probably going to have no choice but to listen, talk. But I want you to know that I won't budge." I said. I tensed up waiting for punishment for the tone I was using. It didn't come. Carlisle simply let out a light chuckle.

"First, you have to forgive my son and daughter." he began. "They've spent five years in a war where they had to use violence to get what they wanted. And they've spent the last year using their abilities to force humans into what they want. They don't understand, with some humans, it's a matter of talking and putting things on their level. And not treating them like a lesser species."

"So you think talking to me about it, is going to change my mind. I don't it but go ahead."

He chuckled once again before continuing.

"Bella and Jasper treat you the way they do because they can. You are too weak and defenseless to stop them. Although, the do love it when you try. Anyway, the point is, if you take the offer, they wouldn't be able to hurt you anymore. In fact, you could probably get a few good swipes at them if you wanted. You could hurt anyone that's ever hurt you if you wanted. I know somewhere inside, you're still angry at Edward about what he ordered us to do to your family. You could make him pay. No one would ever push you around again. People would bow to you. You could have everything you've ever wanted."

"No. First of all, Edward and I talked about why he had them killed."

"Please enlighten me?"

"He was showing them mercy because it what I wanted. He didn't realize that's what it was at the time. He thought it was his want to punish me. But once he figured out how he felt, he knew it was because sending them to that would break me even more. And secondly, if I wanted people to bow to me, I figure out a way to do it without making them fear me. Besides, I've experienced exactly what it's like to have to bow to you, I'd never force some body to do it. As far as being pushed around goes, I don't mind so much, now. Those people who hurt me then just prepared me for now. I'm stronger because of them. I don't want to lose the chance to keep getting stronger. Then with Bella and Jasper, I'd rather they hurt me everyday for the rest of my life than live enternity knowing I'm a monster. Besides, if I turned just to get back at them, then I'm no better than they are. And the only thing I want right now is to be with Edward and my getting that would defeat the purpose of my tranformation. I am supposed to help you kill him after all."

He stared at me for a minute. He had an amused smile on his face.

"Fine. I guess we'll just have to wait for you to break." he said and went back up the stairs.

I stared after him. I laughed to myself a little bit. I couldn't believe they were convinced that I was going to turn. If it were Edward offering, I do it in a heartbeat. I knew he would stop me from doing things I would regret.

"Where are you, Edward?" I whispered to the air.

I curled up into a ball on the cold basement floor. I was still freezing, even with the clothes. I laid there praying I would some how end up in his warm arms. **(A/N: The is metaphorically speaking. I know his arms aren't really warm. The reference is from the song Set the Fire to the Third Bar by Snow Patrol.)**

**EDWARD**

I laid on my bed thinking about the events of the past two weeks. We searched and burned every house that Carlisle ever owned. We even checked out Charlie's house while we were on Forks. Charlie had left it to Bella in his will. There was nothing there. We burned it down too.

It was as I had expected all along. Carlisle had bought places that we didn't know about. We did everything we could to find those places. We used the fear of our last name to get bank records and other personal information about Bella, Jasper, and Carlisle. Even with all that, we came up with nothing.

It was killing me. I didn't know where she was or what was happening to her. There was only one thing that I was sure of. She wasn't dead. I knew Esme had been right when she said they wouldn't kill her because Bella wanted me to be present when they did that one. She knew how deep it would cut me.

Finding her was still one of our priorities but we had other things to worry about. We had to figure out what we were going to do with the humans. Now that we didn't have to keep up the fascade with the other three, we didn't want to hold them here against their will. We decide to send them back to their families. In fact, we were going to drive them back to their homes, personally. We wanted to discuss our new position with them and let them know they no longer had to fear us.

We knew this was going to take some convincing on our part. We also knew that things couldn't go being unsaid. If we were going to try to change the world back to what it was then we were going to have to slowly gain their trust back. Returning what we took from the families was a good start.

We were also working on a plan for the ones that didn't have any family left. Esme was planning on giving them the house and moving us into a smaller one. I was okay with that. We were also talking about tranforming the warehouse into apartments. But those things were still in the planning process.

I knew that doing this shoudl be more important to me but I couldn't stop thinking about Kari. I still blamed myself. I should've just killed her that day. She would be a lot happier now. Or at least she wouldn't be treated like she was nothing. I didn't even want to think about how bad they were hurting her.

I knew that her baby was long gone. It broke my heart to know that I couldn't stop that from happening. It broke my heart that I didn't have any idea how to find her. Mostly though, it hurt so bad that I couldn't feel her warm arms around me. I needed to find her.

I got up off the bed and pulled the box of Bella's records along with the things she left at the house out from under it. There had to be something I was missing. Maybe Charlie had property somewhere other than Forks.

I picked through the box of things she left here t for a few minutes before I did find something I over looked. It was a locked rather large diary. The front read: The diary belongs to Renee Dwyer **(A/N: Renee does seem like the type of women who would keep a diary at her age.) **

I ripped the lock off and opened it up. A folded piece of paper fell out. It looked official. I picked it up to open it.

**A/N: Go ahead yell at me for this but I think it's fun keeping you in suspense. **_**REMEMBER THE SCARY MONKEYS IN YOUR SLEEP. CLICK THE BOX AND REVIEW.**_


	26. The Deed, the Spy and the Plan

**EDWARD**

I unfolded the piece of paper and examined it. I shocked to find that it was the deed to Phil and Renee's house in Jacksonville. I knew we should've checked there when we were in Florida. Then again, I never expected Renee to leave Bella anything. Not after everything that happened during the war, at least.

About two and a half years into the war, Bella started worrying more and more about not knowing when she was going to see Renee and Charlie again. She wanted to tell them the secret. She felt they had a right to know. Especially since, they were prime targets for Volturi revenge. The family decided that it was probably the best idea.

Charlie stuck with his need to know attitude. Respecting that, Bella told him to just be on guard at all times. Renee, on the other hand, wanted to know everything. When Bella first explained she thought it was a joke. Then once everything sank in, Renee was furious and kicked both, Bella and I out. She said she didn't want anything to do with Bella or the rest of the family anymore.

Two weeks later, Renee sent Bella a letter stating she was going to disown Bella. It broke Bella's heart. I tried to comfort her but she just ran from me.

Two months after that, we killed Jane. Three days later, Alec killed Renee out of vengence. He even sent us Renee's head in a box. If I didn't know it was possible, I would've though Bella was going to pass out. She completely closed herself off to me after that. I think she started finding some comfort in Jasper at that point.

I stared at the deed held in my hand. It did make sense that they would go there. The knew we would have no idea that she even owned the house. The always shining sun didn't matter because everyone knew about vampires. It was the perfect place for them to go. I got up from the floor and darted down the stairs, calling for Alice and Esme.

**PIPER (You'll understand in a minute.) **

I was just heading through the living room from doing my daily chores. Things around the house weren't as bad as the used to be. We weren't beat or anything but Mistress Esme still requested that we keep the house cleaned. The were going to let us go home as soon as they got things organized. Too bad I didn't have a home to go to.

"Esme, Alice!" I heard Master Edward yell as I saw a blur streak by me. It was headed to the dining room. A few seconds later, two more blur came rushing past.

Doing my job, I squeezed myself against the wall that divided the living room and dining room. I knew Mistress Bella wasn't around anymore. I knew I'd have no one to feed this information too but it was habit. I did still have the cell phone that she gave me, so if it was important I could call her.

"What's up, Edward?" Alice asked. I could hear concern in her voice.

"I think I know where they took Kari." Edward replied. "I think they're at Renee and Phil's house."

"Are you sure?" Esme questioned.

"No but I just found the deed to it in Bella's box of stuff." Edward responded. "It's worth a look, isn't it?"

"Of course it is." Alice said. Her voice full of hope. "I mean they'd never expect us to think to look for them there. I mean, none of us thought Renee left her anything."

"I call Max." Esme said. I heard her dial a few numbers. "Hey, Max. We need the jet ready as soon as possible. We need to go to Jacksonville, Florida." There was a pause. "Twenty minutes would be perfect. Thanks, Max."

I didn't wait for her to click the phone shut. I needed to get to my room as quickly as possible.

I didn't know where Bella went when she left but I couldn't be sure that it wasn't Jacksonville. I had to give her some kind of warning. I got to my door and fought with guilt for a minute. I knew what Bella was doing to Kari was wrong but I couldn't let them hurt Bella either. Not after everything Bella's done for me.

She took me away from that god awful orphanage. She gave me my own room so Edward wouldn't be able to get his hands on me. She made sure that I was taken care of as best she could. I wasn't treated as bad as the rest of the girls. I was only hurt when I displeased her or Jasper.

In return for all of this, I had to be her spy. I had to bring her back information that she could use against Edward and Alice. I'm proud to say I did my job well. I wasn't about to stop simply because one other human's life hung in the balance. In this world, you couldn't bother to worry about anyone but yourself.

I turned the knob and pushed the door opened. I ran to my tunk and pulled out the cell phone. I punched in her number.

"Please answer! Please!" I begged.

"Hello." Bella's voice came through after the third ring.

"Mistress Bella, it's Piper." I said my voice shaking.

"Piper, it's good to hear from you but I didn't expect it." she said.

"I have some information for you." I stated.

"Okay." she said sounding a little confused.

"Edward, Esme, and Alice think you're at your mom's old house in Jacksonville." I stated. "They're preparing to come."

"Finally, they figured something out." I could hear the smile in her voice. "How long?"

"They're meeting the pilot at the airport in fifteen minutes. I'm not sure how long the flight will be." I responded.

"Thank you, darling." she said. "Once we're rid of them, you'll be rewarded."

"Thank you mistress." I said. I heard the line click and snapped the phone shut.

**BELLA**

I snapped the phone shut not really caring about the promise I just made to my little spy. I'd probably just end up killing her anyway.

"Carlisle, Jasper!" I called.

They were both in the living room, were I was sitting, in a matter of seconds.

"They've finally found us." I said. "Carlisle, go upstairs and get serym. Jasper, go down and get our little friend."

They both took off in opposite directions. I stood up and smiled to myself. This was going to be fun. Thanks to Carlisle's little experiments, Edward was going to have to watch his precious human die and not be able to do anything to stop it.

I heard a small whimper of pain. A second later, said human was at my feet. I intertwined my fingers in her hair and yanked her head back until she was facing me. She had tears of pain in her eyes and let out a whimper. I smirked.

"This is your last chance human." I said. "Your boyfriend's coming. You can either join us and we'll run until after your transformation is done or you can die. That's your choice."

She stared at me difiantly.

"I'll take that as an I'd rather die." I said shoving her face back to the floor.

I kicked her in the stomach and laughed as she had to gasp to get her air back. Jasper kicked her in her back. Not hard enough to do any damage, just enough to hurt. Carlisle came back down before we could cause any more pain. He had three vials and a syringe in his hand.

"We're going to have to inject it once every three hours before they get here. Just to make sure it gets absorbed." he stated.

I nodded. Jasper and I lifted her into a chair in the kitchen. She was obviously to weak to fight. Carlisle filled the syringe and to her. Not bothering to be gentle, he jabbed the needle into her arm. She let out a small scream as Carlisle emtpied the syringe.

"What was that?" she asked when he pulled the needle out.

"You'll find out later." I replied shoving her to the floor. "But right now, it's time for some fun.

**A/N: I know I haven't mentioned Piper before. I just needed someone to rat Edward and the others out. I hope you like. **


	27. You Can't Save Her

**KARI**

I laid on the floor trying to fight the tears. Pain was shooting through every inch of my body. Jasper had just spent the past half hour having his fun. I heard the door opening again. Whoever it was, was using their vampire speed so I just saw a blur coming down the stairs. I was beyond caring at this point, though. I just wanted them to leave me alone or kill me. I felt whoever it was grab me by the hair. They didn't even say anything just dragged me up the stairs.

I let out a small whimper of pain and a second later, I was at Bella's feet. I realized the one who had me, right now, was probably Jasper. He released my hair. I felt the relief for less than a second. Bella wrapped her fingers in my hair and yanked it back. I let out a small whimper as I was forced to stare at her smirking face.

"This is your last chance human." she said. "Your boyfriend's coming."

A small bit of hope had rekindled itself at thos words. Edward had found me. He was going to save me. Everything I just went through hadn't been for nothing. Bella's voice cut through the hope in the next instance.

"You can either join us and we'll run until after your transformation is done or you can die. That's your choice." she continued.

I gave her the best what-do-you-think look I could muster in my current state.

"I'll take that as an I'd rather die." she said shoving my head back to the floor.

She kicked me in the stomach and laughed as I had to gasp to get my air back. Jasper kicked me in the back. He had learned a long time ago, exactly how to hurt me without causing any damage. I felt the force of the kick shoot through my spine but nothing broke or cracked. Carlisle came back down before they could do anything else. I noticed he had three vials and a syringe in his hands. This worried me. What did they plan on doing to me.

"We're going to have to inject it once every three hours before they get here. Just to make sure it gets absorbed." Carlisle stated.

My heart started pounding in my chest as I imaged all the horrible things the content of those vials could do to me. I wanted to ask but knew I wouldn't get an answer. Bella and Jasper picked me up off the floor and shoved me in a kitchen chair.

I didn't have the energy to fight back. I was too malnourished from the lack of food. I watched from the chair as Carlisle filled the syringe with whatever was in the vial. My heart beat even harder, something I didn't think was possible, when he turned and walked towards me. Not bothering to be gentle, he simply jabbed the needle into my upper arm. I let out a small squeak as the needle pierced the skin. I watched as he emptied the contents into my arm

"What was that?" I finally got the courage to ask after he pulled the needle out.

"You'll find out later." Bella replied and threw me back to the floor. "But right now, it's time for some fun."

When she said fun, she meant for her, Jasper, and Carlisle. They spent the next several hours beating and raping me. Bella and Carlisle even got in on the raping thing. They used their vampire strength as well as belts, a whip, and several other weapons. They weren't ready to kill me yet, so they would beat me for an hour. Then they'd spend an hour planning how they were going to stop Edward, Alice, and Esme. And like Carlisle said, every three hours, I was injected with whatever was in the vials.

Several hours, that felt like several years, Bella sniffed the air.

"They're coming. Five, ten minutes away I'd say." she had a smirk on her face.

The others looked at her smirking to. Bella grabbed me by the hair again. She dragged me to the door to the stairs, opened it and threw me down them. My already battered body hit every step painfully. I hit the floor head first. I felt my skull burst in pain for half a second then I knew no more.

**EDWARD**

"We should be there in about ten minutes or so." I told the others.

We ran down the streets of Jacksonville at vampire speed. All three of us were way beyond caring about the traffic that was at a stand still. Everyone was admire the sparkling blurs that ran by. They knew what we were and the caused fascination from many. I would've found their admiration a little funny, if I wasn't rushing to save the love of my existence.

I knew exactly where Renee used to live so the fact that they had covered their scent didn't matter. Several minutes later, we were standing in front of Renee's old house. Jasper and Carlisle were standing outside blocking us from getting in.

"It's about time." Jasper said as we came to a stop a few feet from the porch. "We've been waiting almost all day."

"How'd you even know we were coming?" I asked.

"Bella still has her connections at Esme's house." Jasper replied. I growled.

"And where may I ask is my ex-wife?" I asked.

"She's not ready to make her presence known yet." Carlisle replied.

"I think she's still preparing things for you." Jasper added.

"Well, it's too bad because I'm going in." I said.

I began walking towards the door. Both, Carlisle and Jasper crouched, preparing to attack.

_"Just get inside and find Kari." _I heard Esme think. _"We'll take care of them." _

Alice was already advancing towards Jasper. I looked to Esme she was in the same position as Carlisle. I didn't want them to have to do that. I had hoped we could do this without them having to face their ex-mates. I knew my fight with Bella was inevitable but they didn't have to fight each other.

I opened my mouth to try and get them to stand down. I was too late. I heard four long feral growls and they all leapt at eachother. I took one glance at the clashing couples and took the chance to run in the house.

Once I got inside, the scent of Kari's blood hit me like a ton of bricks. I followed it to the door the led to the basement. It was opened. What I saw when I stepped into the doorway, shattered the heart the took so long to get put back together. Kari was lying at the foot of the stairs. Her clothes were ripped and her beautiful body was battered and bruised. There was a puddle of blood just above her head.

I was down the stairs in less than a second. I knelt beside her to take in the extent of her injuries. She was unconcious. I could still hear her heartbeat. It wasn't strong but it wasn't that weak quite yet. Between the various cuts and slashes on her body and the head wound, she had lost a lot of blood. I knew that there would be no way I could end this and make it to a hospital before she died. She was steadily losing more blood. I wasn't sure what to do.

I considered biting her but I didn't want to that unless it was a last resort. She still had sometime before her heart even came close to failing. If I got lucky, I could find and fight Bella, then get Kari to the hospital in time to save her. Was I prepared to completely rely on luck? Or should I just bite her and get it over with? That would be the only garuntee that she would live. Still, I didn't want to damn her unless I abosolutely had to.

"I know what you're thinking." I heard Bella's familiar voice behind me.

I turned around, she stood there with her arms crossed over her chest. She had a twisted and amused smile on her face.

"And it won't work." she finished.

"Her heart's still beating." I growled.

"True but Carlisle's been experimenting." Her smile grew wider. "He invented a syrum that counteracts the effects of vampire venom. We injected her with it three times over the past ten hours. You can't save her."

**A/N: Another cliffy. I love it. I orginally planned for this to be the last chapter. Then I realized with everything that's going to be happening from now to the end of the story, it would've been too long. The next chapter, however will be the last. **_**AVOID THE FLYING MONKEYS!!!!! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!**_


	28. Revenge

**EDWARD**

I was dumbfounded by what Bella had just told me. I didn't think it was possible. Then again if someone could find something to render our venom useless, it owuld've been Carlisle. I stared at her wondering whether or not I should believe her. She just continued smiling at me.

"By all means, bite her and see what happens." she said gesturing to Kari on the floor next to me.

I looked down at Kari. I considered the options. Bella could be lying. It wouldn't hurt to bite her. It could possibly save her life. Then again, it could leave Kari vulnerable to Bella. No matter what I decided to do, I knew I had to get rid of Bella first. Bella's thoughts all of a sudden assaulted my reverie.

_"I wish you would've come a few hours earlier." _

She had become very good at retracting her shield over the years. It came in very handy during a battle. She hadn't used it in an itimate way in over four years. And now, I had a feeling, she was going to use it against me. The same way Aro used the thoughts of what they did to Nessie against me.

_"It was the most fun, I've had in years. The way she screamed and begged. She wanted to die by the time we were through with her. I'm just giving her her wish."_

Then I was hit with an onslaught of memories. Though, I could only hear the words in her thoughts, I saw the images of my beautiful Kari. They beat and raped her. She was on the ground crying and begging. The others just laughed and continued the abuse. I tried to push the thoughts away so I could focus on Bella but she was concentrating on them too hard.

"Stop it!" I yelled at her.

She laughed.

"I thought you would enjoy hearing about her last few hours. I know how prescious she was too." she answered.

"She's not dead yet." I growled.

"But she will be." Bella smirked. "Even if you can stop me. You can't save her."

"Why are you doing this to me?" I asked watching her.

She was slowly advancing in my direction. I wasn't trying to stall her. I knew I wouldn't have a problem winning. I just needed answers.

"Revenge." Bella said. "I want to destroy you. I want you to pay for what happened to our baby girl."

"Then here I am. Make me pay! I was right there for six years!" I yelled. "Why couldn't you have destroyed me then? Why did you have to do this to an inoccent girl? Why did you have to take the life of someone who has done nothing to you?"

"Because Edward, dying wold've been too much of an easy way out for you. I have to spend the rest of this existence knowing that my daughter died. Knowing that it could've been avoided if you would've listened to me. So I decided, that you should have to live the rest of existence klnowing that someone you loved died when it could've been avoided. Besides, killing you wouldn't have been nearly as fun as watching you go to pieces over a worthless human."

"One thing you didn't think about though, Bella was that fact that doing this would lead to a fight. One where I could possibly die." I pointed out. "I don't think you thought this through well enough."

"Will see about that?" Bella growled and leapt at me. Expecting some kind of attack, I dodged.

The fight began. She was harder than most opponents I've ever faced but easier at the same time. I couldn't read her thoughts and she had been trained by Emmat and Jasper, just like I was. But even after everything, I still knew her better than anyone else. I couldn't read what moves she was going to do but I could feel them.

There was a time when I would've despised even fake fighting like this with Bella. Now, I woanted nothing more than to tear her to pieces and get Kari to safety. Besides, after everything Bella's put Kari and all those other poor humans through, she deserved nothing more than to be torn to pieces.

We continued going at eachother. Biting, clawing, hitting, punching. We were doing whatever we could to get a hold of each others limbs. Sadly, I was splitting my focus by trying to keep tabs on Kari steadily slowing heart and concentrating on the fight. Bella noticed this and opened her mind again. I felt another onslaught as more images of what they had done to her flashed across my mind.

"Stop it!" I growled pouncing on her once again.

"All is fair in love and war." Bella stated. "And this is war!"

She came at my but I stepped out of the way. I was able to get my hand around her stomach and threw her to the floor. She was caught by surprise. I was straddling her about to pop off her head when other thoughts hit me. They were thoughts of how we used to be. The love we once had for eachother. I wasn't sure if they were Bella's thoughts or my own.

They distracted me from my goal and I soon found myself on the floor with her over top of me.

"It's good to know you still have a soft spot for the good old days." she smirked.

She was moving in for the kill when we heard a crash upstairs. It sounded like the other two fights had moved into the house. I caught a small glimpse of Alice's thoughts. Apparently, she had just sent Jasper through the wall. He was down and she was moving in for the kill.

"Hey Bella," I said an idea forming in my head. "You might want to go save your precious Jasper. Alice is getting the better of him. From what I see it's only seconds before she kills him."

Sure enough, seconds later there was the sound of crunching and snapping bones. I had no idea if it was Jasper or not. Bella didn't either but the sound made her pause for half a second. That was all the time I needed. I kicked my feet knocking her to the floor. Without any hesitation this time, I reached down and snapped her head right off her shoulders.

I found, as I continued to dismember my former mate, that I felt no remorse or pain for killing her. I do regret that she had changhed into the horrible person that she was had become. I also regret that it was probably most likely my fault.

However, she didn't have a right to do what she did to Kari. She was a defenseless human. An inoccent human at that. The only crime Kari ever comitted was trying to protect the ones she loved. It was wrong of Bella to take her hate for me out on Kari. Kari had nothing to do with anythign that happened over these past few years. My loving Kari was what pushed Bella to these extremes.

Once I finished pulling Bella apart, I went to Kari and picked her up. I blocked out Esme and Alice's triumphant thoughts as I carried Kari up the stairs.

_"Edward, what happened?" _Alice asked as I walked by her and Esme.

The were making sure they had all of Carlisle and Jasper's limbs were in a pile.

"Burn it." Was all I said as I carried Kari out the door.

I ignored their curious thoughts as their eyes followed me out the door. I carried to a park that was a good distance from the house. The I laid her down in a clustered of trees. Her heartt was failing faster now. I wasn't sure what I should do.

I still thought that Bella had been lying about the syrum but at the same time, I didn't want to get my hopes up. I knew it couldn't hurt to try. I'd just have to try to get enough venom in her to make sure that it could heal all her injuries. I knew logically that there was nothing that was strong enough to counteract vampire venom. I also knew though that Carlisle had enough knowledge to create something. I had no idea what to do.

I listened as heart slowed more.

_"Oh, what the hell!" _

I leaned down and bit each side of her neck. Then I bit each wrist and ankle. I pulled back, with some difficulty and waited. I expected her to began shaking and convulsing in pain. Nothing happened.

No. No. No. Bella couldn't have been right. There had to be something. I began to bite her wherever I could, just like I did with Bella. Maybe I could get enough venom in her to override the syrum. I pulled back again. Still, nothing happened.

I sat there in utter shock a disbelief. There was nothing I could do. The nearest hospital was miles away. Even if I ran, she would've still died before I got there. I stared at her battered and bruised body wishing I could cry. I listened as her heart continued to fail until it stopped completely.

It was a worse feeling than the night I watched Nessie died. In a different way, of course. It was even worse than the twenty four hours I spent thinking Bella was dead. I don't think I ever felt worse in my entire life.

That's when the smell of smoke hit my nostrils and I looked up to see it rising from where the house stood.

_"Edward, what happened?" _ I heard Esme's voice inside my head.

"The killed her." I answered my voice dead and emotionless.

_"I'm so sorry, Edward." _Alice thought.

"I don't understand." Esme said confused. "Couldn't you have changed her?"

"Carlisle invented something that kept it from working. Believe me, I tried." my voice cracked at this point.

We all three looked down at Kari's body. It looked much like Jasper's. The only difference was, the crescent shapes were minutes rather than decades old.

_"But how," _Alice thought. "This isn't what I saw." she said.

"Someone must have changed a decision." I said.

"But it looked so definate." Alice was in untter disbelief.

"God only knows what changed." I said. "All I know is it was probably for a reason."

But even as I said that and looked back at the burning house. I found myself thinking, the flames never looked so inviting.

**A/N: That's it ladies and gentlemen. I know you're probably all thinking, did he do it? Well, You'll find out in the epilouge. And I know you hate me for killing Kari. That will also be explained in the spilouge. Sorry this took a couple days. It was difficult to write the part about Edward killing Bella. I know that is the biggest stretch of the story. I hope you all enjoyed. One more thing: **_**REMEMBER THE FLYING MONKEYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_


	29. Epilogue

**SIX MONTHS LATER....**

**EDWARD**

That's right I'm still here. I considered jumping in the flames and ending my existence for maybe half a sedcond. Then I got another glimpse of Kari's body laying there. It was then that I remember the last bit of wisdom my daughter gave me. Everything happens for a reason. You may not always know the reason but there is one. To do this day, I still don't understand the reason for my daughter's murder and I probably never will. I will never understand the reasons for the war that followed or us becoming what we had in that year afterward. I don't understand why Bella and I stopped loving each other. Once again, I probably never will. I do though, understand the reasons behind Kari coming into my life and why she was taken from me.

I know that a change was needed on my part. Kari's defiance and understanding about Nessie inspired that change. Her willingness to forgive me for the horrible things I'd done to her helped me turn into the man I once was. I saw her willingness to die for her family and remembered how my family used to be. She reminded of how much I missed the love my family used to share.

In short, she picked up the pieces of my heart and put them back together again. That was the reason she came into my life. She reminded me of who I used to be.

Once she done that, there was no other reason to stay in my life. She deserved to be in heaven and happy with her family. I couldn't take that from her by letting her watch me destroy myself. So instead of jumping in the flames. Esme, Alice, and I took her back to our jet and flew her to Forks.

We buried her behind the cottage with a headstone. The grave served as a reminded of everything we went through to get back to the people we used to be.

As for the humans, we took the ones who still had families back to them. We also took the time to discuss our new position with them. We were met with some hosility but most families were just happy to be back together. Some refused to help in our new efforts but most offered to help in anyway possible.

As for those who no longer had families. Alice, Esme, and I moved back to Forks and into the cottage. We expanded it, of course, so all three of us would be comfortable. We continued to pay the bills on the big house we used to live in, allowing the humans who didn't have families to stay there. We paid for the things they needed as well as gave them a weekly allowance.

We had two conditions for the humans, however. The first was they had to keep the place clean. Not perfect but clean. And if they were over the age of 18 they had to choose to further their education or get a job. We wanted them to be doing what they could to get on there own feet again. For those that chose to go to school, we paid their tuitions to the schools of their choose. As long as it was in the United States. The other parts of the world were still under absolute vampire control.

We also rennovated the warehouse turning it into an apartment building. We did the same things for those living there with the same conditions.

We got in contact with the Deanli clan and have been working with them. We are currently getting things organized for another war.

This war will be for the rights of humans all over the world. We'll be more careful this time. I make it a point to walk by Kari's grave everyday. It helps to remind me of the mistakes from the past. I will make sure we don't repeat them. For her sake and the sake of the all the other humans that died at our hands.


	30. Without You Trailer

**A/N: I knwo you guys are probably getting sick of the author's notes all of the time, but I just wanted to let you know that the amazing, Lis123 has struck again. She made a trailer/video for the entire Without You Series. I thought that I'd leave a note on all of my stories. If you've read the series, you should watch the video to see how awesome she is and if you haven't she did a fantastic job of depicting the story and you should check out the video. Anyway, her Youtube channel is Lisalmf123 and the video is titled Without You Series. You should all check it out and leave her some love. **


End file.
